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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Conditional Sales and Probate Court Approval: Protecting Heirs' Rights in Estate Transactions
Learn how Philippine courts handle conditional sales of estate property, protecting heirs' shares while honoring valid contracts.
Void Marriages and Inheritance Rights: Determining Legal Heirs in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on void marriages, death benefits, and who qualifies as legal heirs under the Family Code.
Redemption by Heirs After Tax Sale: Tondo Foreshore Lot Case
When a co-owner repurchases property after a tax sale, the redemption may benefit all heirs. Learn the rules from this Philippine Supreme Court case.
Project Employment vs Regular Employment: Security of Tenure in Construction Projects
Learn when construction workers are project employees and their rights on termination before project completion, based on a Philippine Supreme Court ruling.
Missed Deadlines Lost Inheritance Understanding Appeal Periods IN Philippine Estate Cases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how missed appeal deadlines in estate cases can cost heirs their inheritance rights.
Falsifying Credentials Dismissal Upheld FOR Dishonest Public Servants
Supreme Court affirms dismissal of postal employees who falsified educational credentials in their Personal Data Sheets to secure promotions.
Third-Party Claims in Philippine Execution Sales: Protecting Your Property
Learn how spouses and third parties can protect their property from wrongful execution sales in the Philippines, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Naguit v. Court of Appeals.
When Can Judges Notarize Documents? The Villareal Case on Ex-Officio Notaries
A Supreme Court ruling on when MTC judges may notarize documents, and the limits of their ex-officio notary powers.
Laches and Forgery in Philippine Property Law: The Isabela Colleges Case
Philippine property law: can laches defeat a forgery claim? The Supreme Court's ruling in Isabela Colleges v. Heirs of Rivera explains why delay can be deadly.
Employer Subsidiary Liability in Philippine Criminal Law: The Catacutan Doctrine
Philippine employers can be held subsidiarily liable for damages from employees' criminal negligence. Learn the rules from Catacutan v. Heirs of Kadusale.
Hearsay Evidence in Philippine Courts: When Sworn Statements Are Admissible
Sworn statements can be admitted in Philippine courts not to prove their truth, but to show they were made. Learn the hearsay rule's limits.
Loan Restructuring and Surety Release: Key Protections for Guarantors in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when loan restructuring releases a surety from liability, and what guarantors must know about their rights.
Philippine Estate Law: Why Probate Courts Decide Heirship and Property Disputes
The Supreme Court explains why probate courts have exclusive jurisdiction over heirship and estate property disputes in Ong v. Court of Appeals.
Partition Inter Vivos and Torrens Title Protection: Lessons from Zaragoza v. Morgan
Philippine law allows property owners to partition estates during their lifetime, but only if legitimes are respected and titles are challenged directly.
Probate Court Powers Resolving Property Disputes Among Heirs in Philippine Estate Law
When can a probate court resolve property disputes among heirs? The Supreme Court clarifies the rule in Cortes v. Court of Appeals.
Protecting Your Property From Fraudulent Land Titles: Key Lessons From Arriola vs. Mahilum
Learn how the Supreme Court nullified fraudulent land titles in Arriola vs. Mahilum and what property owners must know to protect their rights.
Negligence in Patent Applications: How Attorney Laches Can Cost You Patent Rights
When lawyers fail to respond to patent office actions, applicants may lose their rights. The Supreme Court explains why.
Modal Institutions in Philippine Wills: Heirs' Obligations and the Rabadilla Ruling
Learn how modal institutions in Philippine wills impose enforceable obligations on heirs, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Rabadilla v. Court of Appeals.
Positive Identification Trumps Alibi in Murder Conviction, SC Rules
SC affirms murder conviction based on eyewitness identification over alibi, and increases damages awarded to the victim's heirs.
Guardianship and Estate Rights: Resolving Inheritance Disputes Over Unauthorized Property Sales
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when heirs can redeem property sold on execution and how courts protect estate rights in inheritance disputes.
Heirs Bound by Contractual Duties in Property Leases: DKC Holdings v. Bartolome
When a lessor dies, are heirs bound by the lease contract? The Supreme Court explains transmissible obligations under Article 1311.
When Heirs Disagree: Judicial Partition Over Administration of an Estate
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains when courts may convert estate administration proceedings into judicial partition among heirs.
Heir Disputes: When Courts Can Order Partition Instead of Estate Administration
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when heirs may partition an estate without full administration proceedings, and when courts may convert petitions.
When Heirs Can Question a Void Marriage After Death: The Niñal Rule
Heirs may challenge a deceased person's void marriage for successional rights. The Supreme Court explains the limits and rules.