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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Homestead Repurchase Rights in the Philippines: Protecting Family Land Across Generations
Learn how Section 119 of the Public Land Act protects homestead land for Filipino families and when the five-year repurchase period starts.
Legally Binding Family Agreements: Extrajudicial Settlements and Inheritance in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on extrajudicial settlements, forgery claims, prescription, and laches in family inheritance disputes.
Witness Credibility in Philippine Courts: Why Family Ties Don't Discredit Testimony
Philippine courts weigh witness credibility by quality, not family ties. A landmark case clarifies evidence rules, paraffin tests, and damages.
Burden of Proof in Conspiracy: When Family Ties Aren't Enough for a Homicide Conviction in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on conspiracy, family ties, and the burden of proof in homicide cases—what the prosecution must establish.
Protecting Your Inheritance Understanding Co-Ownership and Partition Rights in Philippine Property Law
Learn how Philippine law protects co-owners' rights to inherited property, including when and how to demand partition of family assets.
When Family Disputes Meet the Courtroom: Understanding Compulsory Compromise in the Philippines
A look at how Philippine courts handle family disputes, using the Alitagtag rape case to explain legal principles and procedures.
Child Support Cannot Be Waived: Res Judicata in Philippine Family Law
Philippine Supreme Court rules that a child's right to support cannot be renounced or barred by a prior dismissal, citing Civil Code Articles 301 and 2035.
When Personal Conduct Becomes Professional Misconduct: Upholding Integrity in Public Service
A branch clerk of court's extramarital affair and abandonment of family led to dismissal, showing how private misconduct affects public office.
When Private Immorality Leads to Public Disbarment: Understanding Lawyer Ethics in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling shows how a lawyer's private misconduct—abandoning his family—can lead to disbarment.
Home Lot Rights in Philippine Tenancy: Only the Tenant is Entitled
The Supreme Court clarifies that only the tenant, not family members, may claim a home lot under RA 1199, Section 22(3).
When Is a Spouse's Debt Chargeable to the Conjugal Partnership
Supreme Court clarifies when a husband's surety agreement binds the conjugal partnership, distinguishing corporate debts from family obligations.
Rape by an Uncle: Moral Ascendancy and Abuse of Trust in Family Dynamics
A Supreme Court ruling on uncle-niece rape clarifies how moral ascendancy and intimidation satisfy the element of force in Philippine rape law.
Parricide in the Philippines: Proving Intent in Family Killings
Understand parricide under Philippine law and how courts prove intent in family killings, with lessons from a landmark Supreme Court ruling.
Family Disputes and Property Rights: Extrajudicial Settlements and Reconveyance
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when family members must attempt compromise before suing and how reconveyance works for wrongfully registered property.
Adoption in the Philippines: Alien Restrictions and Joint Adoption Requirements
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when aliens may adopt Filipino children and why joint adoption by spouses is mandatory under the Family Code.
Psychological Incapacity as Ground for Marriage Annulment in the Philippines: Guidelines and Implications
The Supreme Court's Molina ruling sets strict guidelines for proving psychological incapacity under Article 36 of the Family Code.
Homestead Redemption Rights: Protecting Family Lands Under Philippine Law
Philippine law protects homestead grantees with a five-year repurchase right. Learn how Section 119 of the Public Land Act works.
Judge's Authority in Marriage Solemnization: Jurisdiction and Validity Rules
Learn the jurisdictional limits of judges solemnizing marriages in the Philippines and the mandatory presumptive death proceeding under the Family Code.
Rape and Incest: When Family Betrayal Meets Justice in the Philippines
A Philippine Supreme Court case on a son raping his mother, explaining the rules on credibility, denial, and penalties for incestuous rape.
Child Custody in the Philippines: Understanding the Under-Seven Rule
The Supreme Court explains the mandatory under-seven rule in child custody cases under Article 213 of the Family Code.