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.
Get a cited, plain-language answer from 184,000+ statutes and decisions — free, no sign-up.
Buyer Beware: Understanding Delivery Delays and Liabilities in Philippine Sales Contracts
Learn how Philippine courts treat conditional sales, court approval requirements, and seller liability when property sales face delays.
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.
Leasehold Improvements in the Philippines: Rights of Lessors and Lessees
Learn how Philippine law treats leasehold improvements, when Article 1678 applies, and why contract stipulations usually prevail over default rules.
Verbal Contracts in the Philippines: Are Oral Agreements Legally Binding?
Oral agreements can be legally binding in the Philippines, but proving them in court requires clear and convincing evidence. Learn the rules.
Employee vs Independent Contractor: SSS Coverage for Farmworkers in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a "pakyaw (piece-rate) basis considered an employee entitled to compulsory Social Security System (SSS) coverage? The ruling is a reminder that the label used b
Decoding Marginal Deposits: How Contract Clarity Prevents Banking Disputes in the Philippines
Learn from Security Bank v. Transworld how ambiguous trust receipt terms on marginal deposits led to a decade-long dispute.
Simulated Sale or Real Deal: How Philippine Courts Protect Property Owners From False Contracts
Philippine courts distinguish real estate mortgages from pacto de retro sales. Learn how judges protect property owners from fraudulent contracts.
Anti-Graft Law: When a Government Contract Becomes Manifestly Disadvantageous
Learn when a government contract is manifestly disadvantageous to the government under Philippine anti-graft law, with key rulings and practical guidance.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Contract Validity and Simulated Sales in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies simulated sales, contract validity, and protection of illiterate parties in real estate transactions.
Equitable Reduction of Excessive Interests: Balancing Contractual Obligations and Fairness in Loan Agreements
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on reducing excessive interest rates in loan agreements, balancing contractual freedom with equity and fairness.
Meeting of Minds: Why Genuine Agreement Is Key to Valid Philippine Contracts
Philippine law requires a genuine meeting of minds for a valid contract. Learn how consent is formed and what happens when it is absent.
Lease Agreements in the Philippines: Why Written Consent Before Construction Matters
Learn how the Supreme Court's ruling in Bugatti v. Baguilat underscores the need for a perfected lease contract before construction begins.
Documentary Evidence vs Verbal Agreements: Why Written Contracts Prevail in Philippine Courts
When a verbal claim of discount conflicts with written invoices, Philippine courts rely on documentary evidence. Learn from a Supreme Court ruling.
Extraordinary Inflation and Philippine Contracts: When Can You Adjust Rental Rates
Philippine law allows rent adjustments for extraordinary inflation, but courts rarely grant them. Learn the rules from a Supreme Court case.
Extraordinary Inflation and Lease Rentals: What Singson v. Caltex Means for Contracts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when extraordinary inflation justifies adjusting contract rentals under Article 1250 of the Civil Code.
Employee vs. Independent Contractor: The Four-Fold Test Under Philippine Law
The Supreme Court's ruling in Corporal v. NLRC clarifies when workers are true employees, not independent contractors, under Philippine labor law.
Parol Evidence Rule: When Prior Agreements Can Modify a Contract
Philippine Supreme Court explains when prior negotiations can alter a written contract under the parol evidence rule.
Contract to Sell vs. Contract of Sale: Key Distinctions in Philippine Property Law
Learn the crucial differences between a contract to sell and a contract of sale under Philippine law, and how ownership transfers.
Extrajudicial Contract Rescission in the Philippines: Reclaiming Property Without Court Intervention
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a party may extrajudicially rescind a contract and retake property, and when court action becomes necessary.
Statute of Limitations in Philippine Contract Law: The 10-Year Rule for Written Contracts
Learn the 10-year prescriptive period for written contracts in the Philippines, when it starts, and how the Supreme Court applied it in a stock pledge dispute.
Presidential Authority Over SBMA Awards and Limits of Injunctions in Government Contracts
Supreme Court ruling on presidential control over SBMA bids, injunction limits under RA 7227, and foreign bidder licensing requirements.
Presidential Power Bidding Wars Navigating Philippine Government Contracts
The Supreme Court clarifies the President's authority to overturn government contract awards and the limits on foreign bidders' rights.
Venue Stipulations in Contracts: Who Is Bound Under Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on venue stipulations in contracts and who is bound, including assignees and privies.
Muslim Marriages Before the Muslim Code: Property Regime and Estate Settlement
Supreme Court clarifies which law governs property relations in Muslim marriages contracted before the Muslim Code, remanding estate case for further proceedings.