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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Verbal Promises and Real Property: Why Oral Land Donations Fail in the Philippines
Oral donations of land are void under Philippine law. Learn why verbal promises cannot transfer real property ownership.
When Can a Lawyer Buy a Client's Property? Philippine Law on Attorney-Client Deals
Philippine law restricts lawyers from buying property in litigation they handle, but not all client-property sales are barred. This case explains the limits.
Intent Is Key: Distinguishing Robbery With Homicide From Separate Crimes in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that robbery with homicide requires proof of intent to rob before the killing, not merely taking property afterward.
Missed Deadlines Lost Rights Understanding Prescription AND Laches IN Philippine Property Disputes
Learn how prescription and laches bar stale property claims in the Philippines, with key rules and practical guidance.
Corporate Authority in Property Sales: Why Board Approval Matters in the Philippines
A corporate officer cannot sell company land without board approval. Learn the due diligence steps to protect your property transaction.
Oral Partition of Co-Owned Property in the Philippines: Validity and Implications
Understand the validity of oral partition of co-owned property in the Philippines, its legal effects, and practical implications for property owners.
Court Personnel Extortion: When Demanding Money for Court Documents Is Grave Misconduct
The Supreme Court penalizes a court interpreter who extorted money from a litigant to release a property bond document, explaining the rules on grave misconduct.
Lost Property Claims: Why Delay Can Cost You Everything in the Philippines
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling shows how delay, laches, and prescription can bar property recovery claims. Learn the legal lessons.
Invalid Sheriff's Sale: Protecting Property Rights in Judgment Execution
Learn from Dayonot v. NLRC why a sheriff's lack of authority voids an auction sale and what it means for judgment execution.
Equitable Mortgage in Philippine Real Estate: Protecting Your Property Rights
When is a deed of sale actually an equitable mortgage? Learn how Philippine courts protect property owners from disguised loan transactions.
Void Deeds of Sale: Protecting the Vulnerable in Philippine Property Law
The Supreme Court explains when a deed of sale is void from the start, and why the vulnerable need protection.
Public Land vs Private Ownership in the Philippines: Land Classification and Acquisition
Understand how Philippine law distinguishes public land from private property, and the rules on classification and acquisition.
Buyer Beware Understanding Mortgage Foreclosure Risks When Purchasing Property in the Philippines
Learn from Ligon v. Court of Appeals why buyers of mortgaged Philippine property face serious foreclosure risks and what due diligence requires.
Successor Beware: Why Due Diligence Is Key to Avoiding Prior Judgments in Philippine Property Law
A buyer of Philippine property can be bound by a court judgment against its seller, even if not named in the suit. Learn the due diligence lesson from Eternal Gardens v. Court of Appeals.
Forged Deeds and Fake Titles: Protecting Your Land Ownership in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts handle forged deeds and spurious titles, and what landowners can do to protect their property from fraud.
Selling Inherited Property During Probate: What Heirs Should Know
Can an heir sell inherited property while probate is pending? The Supreme Court explains when court approval is needed and when it is not.
Ordinance vs Resolution: Why LGUs Need an Ordinance for Expropriation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: local governments cannot expropriate private property through a mere resolution—an ordinance is legally required under RA 7160.
LIS PENDENS in Philippine Property Disputes: Protecting Your Rights Against Title Challenges
Learn how lis pendens protects property rights during litigation, and why it is not a collateral attack on a Torrens title.
Why Regional Trial Courts Lack Jurisdiction Over Reckless Imprudence Cases
Learn why the Supreme Court ruled that Regional Trial Courts lack jurisdiction over reckless imprudence cases involving light felonies and property damage.
Protecting Your Property Rights: Encroachment and Builder in Bad Faith in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts handle property encroachment and the consequences of being a builder in bad faith, based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Void Sales: Why Philippine Law Demands Spousal Consent for Conjugal Property
A spouse cannot sell conjugal property alone. Guiang v. CA explains why such sales are void, not just voidable.
Understanding Easements of Right of Way in Philippine Property Law
Learn how Philippine courts treat right of way claims, easement requirements, and what property owners should know before demanding access.
Buyer Beware Inheriting Obligations IN Philippine Property Foreclosures
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on property foreclosures: buyers may inherit seller's obligations to installment buyers, even without written contracts.
Finality of Judgments: Why Ignoring Your Case Can Cost You Your Property in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling shows how failing to pursue a case can lead to losing property forever through finality and res judicata.