Short answer. Valid notice of withdrawal does not entitle you to stop immediately. Article 1929 of the Civil Code requires you to continue acting until your principal has had a reasonable opportunity to take the necessary steps to meet the situation — even after you have properly communicated your decision to withdraw.
What the law says
The agent, even if he should withdraw from the agency for a valid reason, must continue to act until the principal has had reasonable opportunity to take the necessary steps to meet the situation.
Civil Code, Article 1929 — Duty to Continue After Withdrawal. Read the full provision →
What Article 1929 requires
Article 1929 imposes a bridge obligation on a withdrawing agent. The rule applies even when the reason for withdrawal is fully valid — whether impossibility of performance, grave personal detriment, or any other recognized ground. The agent may not simply hand over the document of authority and walk away. The duty to act continues until the principal has had a reasonable opportunity to take the necessary steps to deal with the situation the agent was handling. The law does not define 'reasonable opportunity' with a fixed number of days; what matters is whether the principal had a fair chance to respond.
Why this obligation exists
An agency is a relationship of trust and often involves ongoing transactions, pending negotiations, or third parties who have acted in reliance on the agent's authority. An abrupt mid-stream withdrawal — even one with a valid reason — can inflict harm on the principal that goes beyond the inconvenience of finding a replacement. The Civil Code balances the agent's right to exit against the principal's legitimate expectation of orderly transition. The duty to bridge continues only until a handover is genuinely possible, not indefinitely.
What counts as a reasonable opportunity to take over
No fixed period is stated in the article. The standard is factual: what would a reasonable principal need, given the nature of the business being managed, to step in or appoint a substitute? For a simple day-to-day task, a few days' notice may suffice. For a complex or ongoing transaction — a pending sale of property, a lawsuit, an open account — the principal may need more time. The agent who withdraws at a critical moment, even for a valid reason, carries the risk that a tribunal might find the opportunity given was not yet reasonable.
Interaction with the duty to give notice
The duty to continue under Article 1929 works alongside — not instead of — the requirement to give due notice of withdrawal. Notice starts the clock; it does not end the relationship. The agent who notifies the principal and then immediately ceases all action before the principal can respond has technically complied with the notice requirement but violated the continuing-duty rule. Both obligations must be satisfied before the agent is fully discharged from the agency.