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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Perfecting Appeals in Election Cases: Strict Compliance with Fee Payment Rules
Learn why paying appeal fees to the wrong office or late can doom an election appeal, based on Villota v. COMELEC.
Redemption Rights Demand Strict Compliance and Timely Tender of Full Payment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on strict compliance with redemption periods and the requirement of timely, full tender in extrajudicial foreclosure.
Personal Cultivation Requirement in Agrarian Reform: Palele v. Court of Appeals
Supreme Court ruling on the personal cultivation requirement for agrarian reform beneficiaries and why mere payment does not vest ownership.
Upholding Insurance Claims Substantial Compliance AND Timely Payment Obligations
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on substantial compliance with insurance policy conditions and the insurer's duty to pay claims within prescribed periods.
Payment Deadlines: Insurers Can't Deny Coverage After Granting Credit
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when insurers cannot deny coverage if they granted credit terms for premium payments.
Specific Performance and the Obligation to Transfer Clear Title: Palon v. Brillante
In Palon v. Brillante, the Supreme Court held that a seller who receives full payment must not only deliver the land but also cause the issuance of the buyer's separate title.
Timely Payment Matters Retroactivity Of Docket FEE Rules IN Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on retroactive docket fee rules and the importance of timely payment in civil cases.
Payment Application and Tenant Rights: Paculdo v. Regalado on Wrongful Ejectment
Learn how the Supreme Court protected a tenant from wrongful ejectment when a landlord misapplied rental payments to other debts.
Rescission of Contract to Sell: Your Rights to Refunds and Interest in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on contract to sell rescission clarifies buyer's right to refund of installments and interest payments.
Earnest Money Isn't a Done Deal: Why Payment Terms Perfect a Contract of Sale in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that earnest money alone doesn't perfect a sale when payment terms remain unsettled. Learn the rules.
Quantum Meruit in Government Contracts: What Contractors Must Know
The Supreme Court clarifies when contractors can recover payment from the government and the limits of the quantum meruit principle.
Perfecting Appeals: The Mandatory Nature of Docket Fee Payments in Philippine Courts
A look at the Supreme Court's ruling on judges' duties in execution orders, sheriff accountability, and procedural fairness in Philippine courts.
Attorneys Fees and Simulated Sales: Protecting Lawyers' Rights in the Philippines
A lawyer's right to collect contingent fees can extend to challenging simulated sales that defeat payment, as the Supreme Court ruled in Alberto v. Court of Appeals.
Docket Fees and Jurisdiction: Timely Payment in Philippine Courts
When must docket fees be paid for a court to acquire jurisdiction? The Supreme Court explains the rule and its equitable exceptions.
Royalty Payments After Franchise Expiration: When the Assigned Right Ceases
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether royalty fees continue after the underlying franchise agreement expires and the assigned right ceases to exist.
Bouncing Checks Law: When a Valid Cause to Stop Payment Defeats a Conviction
The Supreme Court acquits a buyer who stopped payment on postdated checks due to a developer's failure to complete a townhouse project.
Non-Payment in a Contract to Sell: A Suspensive Condition, Not a Breach
When is non-payment a breach? In a contract to sell, it is a condition precedent—explained in Padilla v. Paredes.
Bouncing Checks Law: Valid Defense When Developer Fails to Complete Project
Supreme Court rules buyer's suspension of payments under PD 957 is valid defense against B.P. 22 bouncing checks charges.
Friar Lands Ownership: When Full Payment Confers Title Even Without Deed
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on friar lands: full payment of purchase price vests ownership in the buyer, even without a final deed of conveyance.
Contractors Lien vs Preliminary Attachment: Rights in Construction Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a contractor's lien applies and how preliminary attachment works in construction payment disputes.
When "May" Means Optional: Advance Payments in Property Sales
Supreme Court ruling on whether a buyer's advance payment obligation in a property sale is mandatory or discretionary, and its effect on contract rescission.
Navigating Legal Interest From Breach of Contract to Final Judgment Satisfaction
Understand how Philippine courts compute legal interest on money judgments, from breach of contract until full payment, based on Eastern Assurance v. Court of Appeals.
When a Bouncing Check Isn't Estafa: Checks as Loan Security in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when postdated checks given as loan security, not payment, cannot result in estafa conviction.
Filing Fees in Philippine Election Protests: Jurisdictional Rules and Timelines
Philippine election protest filing fees are jurisdictional. Late payment does not cure defects. Learn the rules and deadlines.