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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Unraveling Presumptions: How Philippine Courts Determine Marital Status and Inheritance Rights
Philippine courts rely on presumptions to decide marital status and inheritance. Learn how from a Supreme Court case on disputed marriages and heirs.
Prescription Prevails: Acquiring Ownership Despite Shared Inheritance
When a co-heir openly claims inherited land as their own for decades, prescription can defeat the right to partition.
Agricultural Leasehold vs. Inheritance: Protecting Tenant Rights and Land Use in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on land registration, possession, and the distinction between ownership and mere holding in agricultural property disputes.
Inofficious Donation and Legitime: Protecting Compulsory Heirs' Inheritance Rights in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine law protects compulsory heirs from inofficious donations that impair their legitime, explained through a Supreme Court case.
When a Civil Case Can Resolve Inheritance and Property Disputes in the Philippines
Learn when Philippine regular courts, not labor arbiters, have jurisdiction over breach of contract and property disputes.
Future Inheritance vs Present Rights: Resolving Property Disputes Among Heirs
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on partition inter vivos, future inheritance, and validity of property transfers among heirs.
Intestate Succession and Property Rights: Clarifying Inheritance Shares Under the Old Civil Code
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when heirs truly own inherited property, and why a parent's lifetime transfer can defeat a compromise agreement's promised shares.
Intestate Succession Under the Old Civil Code: Equal Rights for Illegitimate Children
How the Supreme Court applied the old Civil Code's succession rules to protect the inheritance rights of illegitimate children in a landmark 2005 ruling.
When Can Heirs Sue for Partition: Co-Ownership Rules in Inheritance Disputes
Learn when heirs can demand partition of inherited property, the rules on co-ownership, and how Philippine courts resolve inheritance disputes.
Res Judicata Prevails Reclaiming A Shared Inheritance Despite Past Disputes
Learn how res judicata bars re-litigating inheritance claims after a final judgment, and what this means for co-heirs.
When Ambiguity Clouds Inheritance Agreements: The Quiros v. Arjona Ruling
A barangay settlement left the land unidentified. The Supreme Court ruled the deal valid but unenforceable, pointing heirs to reformation instead of nullity.
Acquisitive Prescription vs Succession: How Heirs Keep Land Ownership in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court explains when prescription and laches cannot defeat inheritance rights over family land.
Illegitimacy, Inheritance Rights, and Marital Presumptions in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling on paraphernal property, contract of adhesion, and unconscionable interest rates shows how Philippine law protects borrowers and spouses.
Challenging Filiation: When Can Heirship Be Contested in Property Disputes
Philippine law sets strict rules on when filiation can be challenged in inheritance cases. Learn the key principles and deadlines.
When Courts, Not the SEC, Decide Succession and Corporate Veil Cases
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when inheritance claims against a corporation belong in regular courts, not the SEC.
Heirs Rights AND Land Title Disputes Resolving Inheritance Conflicts IN Property Ownership
Establishing Filiation: The Imperative of Conclusive Evidence in Inheritance Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on proving filiation in inheritance cases, highlighting the need for conclusive evidence and final judgments.
Unraveling Inheritance Rights Filiation AND THE Validity OF Extrajudicial Settlements
A Supreme Court ruling on filiation, inheritance rights, and the validity of extrajudicial settlements and deeds of sale.
Agrarian Reform Inheritance and Land Coverage Under PD 27 and RA 6657
Supreme Court ruling on whether inherited farmland retains coverage under Operation Land Transfer under PD 27 and RA 6657.
Navigating Inheritance Disputes When Intra Corporate Claims Meet Civil Court Jurisdiction
Extrajudicial Settlements and Adopted Children's Inheritance: Lessons from Pedrosa v. Court of Appeals
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when extrajudicial settlements bind adopted heirs and how prescription periods apply to fraudulent partitions.
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.
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.
Navigating Inheritance for Distant Relatives in the Philippines: Understanding the Rule of Proximity
Learn how Philippine intestate succession works for distant relatives, including the rule of proximity and who inherits when no immediate family exists.