Short answer. Yes. Under Article 2268 of the Civil Code, a court may suspend a pending case between family members to give the parties a genuine chance to reach a compromise. The court sets the terms of the suspension. It does not force a settlement, but it does require a real effort to find one.
What the law says
Suits between members of the same family which are pending at the time this Code goes into effect shall be suspended, under such terms as the court may determine, in order that compromise may be earnestly sought
Civil Code, Article 2268 — Pending Suits Between Family Members. Read the full provision →
What Article 2268 actually says
Article 2268 was written to address suits between family members that were already pending when the Civil Code took effect. It empowers a court to suspend those proceedings on its own terms so that the parties can earnestly seek a compromise. The word earnestly matters — the provision does not contemplate a half-hearted attempt or a formality. It calls for a genuine, good-faith effort to resolve the dispute without a judgment.
How the suspension works in practice
The court, not the parties, decides the conditions and length of the suspension. This gives the judge real discretion: to set a deadline, to require mediation or family conferences, or to impose any other term that promotes a genuine effort at peace. The parties cannot simply ignore the suspension period or use it to delay tactics — the court retains control throughout. When the suspension ends without agreement, the case resumes where it left off.
Legal separation cases follow a different but related rule
Article 2268 also covers legal separation proceedings, but with a distinct goal. In that context, the suspension is aimed not at a compromise in the ordinary sense, but at reconciliation between spouses. The law expresses a preference for preserving the marriage if at all possible. If reconciliation fails during the suspension, the legal separation case proceeds. This shows that the provision is not merely procedural — it reflects a policy that family disputes, of all kinds, deserve a real chance at peaceful resolution before a court imposes its judgment.
What this means for an estate dispute between siblings
If you and your siblings are fighting over your parents' estate while litigation is ongoing, the court already has the authority to pause the case and require you to explore a settlement. This can be a genuine opportunity: reaching a family agreement often preserves relationships and can be faster and less expensive than a full trial. At the same time, the suspension does not force an agreement. If your family cannot resolve things during that period, the litigation will continue and the court will decide. What you do during the suspension — how seriously you engage, what documents you exchange, what proposals you make — can shape both the settlement talks and the trajectory of the case if it resumes.