Chihuahua Congress reforms Civil Code to simplify testament process

The Congress of Chihuahua has reformed the State Civil Code to simplify the process of granting an open public testament. The reform reduces the number of required witnesses from three to two, provided that at least one of the two witnesses is literate.

To further increase accessibility, the new regulations facilitate procedures for testators who are unable to sign. In such cases, the testator may designate a person to sign on their behalf, and if a witness is unable to sign, the other witness may do so on their behalf, accompanied by a fingerprint where possible.

Guillermo Ramírez Gutiérrez, president of the Commission of Governance and Constitutional Points, stated that these adjustments to articles 1415 through 1420 aim to adapt legal provisions to current circumstances and make the process more accessible for citizens who may find it difficult to gather three witnesses at a notary public.