Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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Unsigned Stipulations in Mortgages: Philippine Supreme Court Upholds Consent as Key
Philippine Supreme Court rules a mortgage stipulation inserted after signing without the mortgagor's consent is void ab initio.
Attorney Conflicts of Interest: Lessons from Philippine Jurisprudence
Learn how Philippine courts handle attorney conflicts of interest, consent requirements, and ethical duties through key Supreme Court rulings.
Protecting Your Inheritance: Why Heirs' Consent Matters in Estate Partition
Learn how the Supreme Court protects heirs' inheritance rights in estate partition, and why an administrator's failure to follow the decedent's will amounts to extrinsic fraud.
Contract to Sell vs. Contract of Sale: Why Consent on Payment Terms Matters
The Supreme Court clarifies when a property agreement is a contract to sell, not a sale, and why consent on payment terms is decisive.
Protecting Client Confidences: Attorney-Client Privilege and Conflicts of Interest in the Philippines
A lawyer cannot represent opposing parties without full disclosure and written consent. This case explains the rule and its penalties.
Lease Renewal in the Philippines: What "Upon Agreement" Really Means
A lease "renewable upon agreement" requires mutual consent—no automatic renewal. Learn the rules from Josefa v. San Buenaventura.
Contract Termination and Forum Shopping: Lease Rights and Obligations Explained
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on lease contract termination, subleasing without consent, and forum shopping in Riesenbeck v. Maceren.
Meeting of Minds in Property Sales: Why Price Agreement Is Key in Philippine Contracts
Philippine contract law requires a meeting of minds on price for property sales. Learn from a Supreme Court ruling on consent and judicial ethics.
Acting Secretaries and the Commission on Appointments: The Pimentel Ruling
The Supreme Court explains when the President may appoint acting department secretaries without Commission on Appointments consent.
Absence of Mutual Agreement Nullifies Sale of Vessels: A Philippine Contract Law Primer
Explore when a contract of sale is void for lack of consent, using a Philippine Supreme Court case as a guide.
Malversation Conviction Affirmed Consenting To Misappropriation AS Grounds FOR Liability
Consent to misappropriation by a public officer can ground malversation liability even without personal gain, as this case shows.
Sheriff's Duty to Execute Writs Timely: Administrative Liability Explained
When a sheriff receives a writ of execution, delay beyond the 60-day period is neglect of duty, even if parties consented.
When a Spouse's Sale of Conjugal Property Without Consent Is Valid
The Supreme Court explains when a sale of conjugal property by one spouse without the other's consent stands, and when heirs can still demand partition.
Voidable Contracts When a Husband's Consent Is Crucial in Conjugal Property Sales
When a wife sells conjugal property without her husband's consent, the sale is voidable—but only if he acts to annul it in time.
Untangling Land Titles, Prescription, and the Rights of Heirs in Property Disputes
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when heirs can recover property sold without their consent, and how prescription applies to constructive trusts.
Partition Ends Co-Ownership: Mortgage on Divided Property Valid
Supreme Court rules that a deed of partial partition ends co-ownership, making a subsequent mortgage on an adjudicated property valid without other heirs' consent.
Property Rights and Due Process: Lessons from Barcenas v. Tomas on Appeals and Co-Ownership
A Supreme Court ruling reminds property owners that procedural rules on appeals are strict, and that a co-owner may validly sell an undivided share without the consent of the others.
Marital Consent Is Key: Encumbering Conjugal Property Without Spouse's Agreement Is Void
A spouse cannot mortgage conjugal property without the other spouse's written consent. The Supreme Court explains why such encumbrances are void.
Contract Validity: Illness and Consent in Property Sales Under Philippine Law
Supreme Court ruling on when illness affects consent in property sales, and the burden of proving lack of capacity to contract.
Perfecting Contracts: Consent and the Statute of Frauds in Share Sales
A Supreme Court ruling explains when letters become a binding share sale contract and what the Statute of Frauds requires.
Conjugal Property Sale Without Spouse's Consent Is Void: Key Ruling
Supreme Court explains when a sale of conjugal property without the other spouse's consent is void, and why a mere option to buy is not enforceable.
Illegal Dismissal and Retirement Age: When Expiring Contracts Mask Unlawful Termination
Supreme Court clarifies when a "contract expiration" is really illegal dismissal, and why early retirement requires an employee's explicit consent.
Void Deeds: Consent and the Limits of Property Transfer in the Philippines
When is a property deed void? The Supreme Court explains consent, donations, and why a flawed transfer can be challenged anytime.
Tenant Rights vs Civil Leases: Clarifying Agricultural Tenancy in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a worker on agricultural land becomes a de jure tenant, and why a civil lessee cannot install tenants without the landowner's consent.