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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Unlawful Detainer: A Tenant's Admissions and the Inevitable Ejectment
In Mendoza v. Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court ruled that a tenant's own admissions in pleadings can seal an ejectment case.
When a Lawyer Drops the Ball: Lessons from Edquibal v. Ferrer on Diligence and Client Trust
A Supreme Court ruling on lawyer negligence in appeals, explaining counsel's duty of diligence and what clients should expect.
Duty to Inform Courts of Address Changes: Lessons from Garrucho v. Court of Appeals
When a party and counsel fail to notify courts of address changes, service is deemed complete—and appeals may be lost. Learn the rules.
Why Deadlines Matter in Appeals: The Rule on Inexcusable Neglect
A one-day late appeal cost a company its case. Learn the strict rule on reglementary periods and inexcusable neglect in Philippine appeals.
Upholding Procedural Rules: How Counsel's Negligence Binds Clients in Labor Appeals
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that a lawyer's failure to file a timely appeal binds the client, even in labor cases.
Res Judicata and Tenant Rights: Lessons from Delgado v. Court of Appeals
When a case is dismissed without prejudice, it does not bar refiling. Learn what res judicata really requires in land disputes.
Perfecting Appeals: The Crucial Difference Between Single and Multiple Judgments in Philippine Law
Learn when a record on appeal is required in Philippine civil procedure, and why missing this step can cost you your appeal.
Proper Parties in Appeals: Identifying the Real Party in Interest
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies who must be named as respondents in appeals, emphasizing the real party-in-interest rule under Rule 45.
Docket Fees and Dismissal: Perfecting Appeals in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on late payment of appellate docket fees and dismissal of appeals under Rule 41.
Procedural Lapses and Labor Rights: Understanding the Correct Appeal Process in Illegal Dismissal Cases
Learn how procedural errors in illegal dismissal cases affect appeals, based on Philippine Supreme Court rulings on judicial remedies.
Forum Shopping Certification and Timely Appeals: Pascual and Santos v. Tramo Wakas
Supreme Court clarifies rules on corporate authority to sign non-forum shopping certifications and timely filing of appeals by registered mail.
Corporate Authority and Timely Filing: Navigating Court Procedures in Land Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies rules on corporate authorization and filing deadlines in land dispute appeals.
Retroactivity of Procedural Rules Safeguarding Timely Appeals in Labor Disputes
How a procedural rule change saved a dismissed worker's appeal: the Supreme Court on retroactivity of Rule 65 amendments.
Perfecting Appeals: Timely Payment of Appeal Fees as a Jurisdictional Requirement in Philippine Election Law
Learn how timely payment of appeal fees is a jurisdictional requirement in Philippine election law, based on Supreme Court rulings.
Speedy Trial Rights: When One-Day Delay in Graft Appeals Is Excusable
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when late appeal filings in criminal cases may be excused to serve substantial justice.
Missed Deadlines Dismissed Appeals The High Cost Of Late Docket Fees In Philippine Courts
Learn how paying appellate docket fees late can cost you your appeal, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies: Why Appeals Matter in Local Government Disputes
Why a mayor's suspension case was dismissed: the rule that appeal must precede certiorari in local government disputes.
Dismissal for Late Docket Fee Payment: Strict Timelines in Certiorari Petitions
Learn how late docket fee payment and wrong remedy choices can doom certiorari petitions, based on Mercado v. Court of Appeals.
Appeals Ordinary vs Certiorari: Lessons From a Lawyer's Suspension
A lawyer's misuse of certiorari and a TRO led to suspension. Learn the difference between ordinary appeals and certiorari in Philippine courts.
Perfecting Appeals THE Strict Timeline AND Exceptions IN Philippine LAW
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains the strict deadlines for appeals and the limited exceptions, guiding litigants on procedural compliance.
Reckless Imprudence and Vehicular Accidents: Proximate Cause in Philippine Criminal Law
How the Supreme Court determines proximate cause in reckless imprudence vehicular accident cases, explained through Gabriel v. Court of Appeals.
Land Registration: Blueprint Plan Can Substitute for Tracing Cloth
Supreme Court clarifies that a certified blueprint plan can sufficiently identify land for registration, reversing the Court of Appeals' strict ruling.
Supreme Court Reinstates NLRC Ruling on Belated Labor Appeal: Timeliness Matters
SC ruling clarifies that belated appeals to the NLRC cannot be excused by mere merit arguments, reaffirming strict procedural rules.
Forum Shopping and Appeal Jurisdiction: Traverse Development Corp. v. DBP
When a dismissal order raises only legal questions, appeal lies with the Supreme Court, not the Court of Appeals.