Short answer. Yes. Article 842 lets someone with no compulsory heirs dispose of all or any part of their estate by will in favor of anyone with capacity to succeed. Without compulsory heirs to protect, there is no legitime restricting how freely you can distribute your property.
What the law says
One who has no compulsory heirs may dispose by will of all his estate or any part of it in favor of any person having capacity to succeed.
Civil Code, Article 842 — The Limit of Testamentary Freedom. Read the full provision →
What the law says
One who has compulsory heirs may dispose of his estate provided he does not contravene the provisions of this Code with regard to the legitime of said heirs.
Civil Code, Article 842 — The Limit of Testamentary Freedom. Read the full provision →
Without compulsory heirs, testamentary freedom is essentially complete
Article 842 draws a sharp distinction based on whether the testator has compulsory heirs. For someone in your position, the rule is direct: "one who has no compulsory heirs may dispose by will of all his estate or any part of it in favor of any person having capacity to succeed." Since you describe having no children, no living parents, and no spouse — the categories of compulsory heirs the law is primarily concerned with protecting — this branch of the article applies to you.
The only real limitation: the recipient's capacity to succeed
The article's one qualification is that the beneficiary must be "a person having capacity to succeed." This is a separate legal question about whether your friend is legally qualified to inherit — most people are, but the law does recognize certain grounds of incapacity to succeed in specific circumstances. Assuming your friend has no such disqualification, nothing in Article 842 stands between you and leaving your entire estate to that friend.
Why your situation differs from someone with compulsory heirs
The contrast in the same article makes clear why this matters. Someone who does have compulsory heirs is told they "may dispose of his estate provided he does not contravene the provisions of this Code with regard to the legitime of said heirs." That person's freedom to write a will is constrained by the need to preserve the legitime. You are not subject to that constraint, precisely because you have no compulsory heirs whose legitime the law needs to protect.
A practical note as you plan your will
Because your circumstances can change — a marriage, a child, or another event could later create a compulsory heir where none currently exists — it is worth keeping in mind that the freedom Article 842 gives you reflects your situation at the relevant time. If your family situation changes in the future, the rules on legitime for compulsory heirs would then apply and could limit how freely you can dispose of your estate going forward, even if your current will was validly made while you had no such heirs.
Cases citing this provision
These Supreme Court decisions cite the provision above. We list them so you can read them yourself; the summaries of what each decided are not ours to give.
- Hiers of Policronio M. Ureta, Sr., namely: Conrado B. Ureta, et al. vs. Heirs of Liberato M. Ureta, namely: Teresa F. Ureta, et al./Heirs of Liberato M. Ureta, namely: Teresa F. Ureta, et al. vs. Heirs of Policronio M. Ureta, Sr., namely: Conrado B. Ureta, et al, G.R. No. 165748 / G.R. No. 165930, September 14, 2011 — read the decision on LawPhil →
- Elizabeth Brual vs. Jorge Brual Contreras, Lourdes Brual-Nazario, Erlinda Brual-Binay, Rodolfo Brual, Renato Brual, G.R. No. 205451, March 7, 2022 — read the decision on LawPhil →