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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Seafarer Death Benefits Understanding Contract Terms AND Post Employment Claims IN THE Philippines
When Is a Buy-Bust Operation Legal in the Philippines? Key Rules from People v. Nicolas
Philippine courts uphold buy-bust operations as valid drug enforcement, even without prior surveillance. Learn the essential elements and your rights.
Proving Psychological Incapacity: Expert Testimony and Marital Obligations in Philippine Law
What evidence proves psychological incapacity under the Family Code? The Zamora case clarifies the role of expert testimony and the need for clear, convincing proof.
Illegal Dismissal in the Philippines: Employee Rights Under the Boundary System
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on jeepney drivers under the boundary system, illegal dismissal, and employee rights to reinstatement and backwages.
Zoning Regulations vs Contractual Obligations: Balancing Public Welfare and Private Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on zoning ordinances, police power, and the non-impairment of contracts clause.
Construction Subcontractor Rights: Ensuring Timely Payment in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts protect subcontractors' right to timely payment, even when a general contractor claims financial difficulty.
Petition for Relief in the Court of Appeals: When Can You Revive a Dismissed Appeal
Philippine Supreme Court explains why the RTC cannot annul a DARAB decision and when the CA can take jurisdiction over a dismissed appeal.
Donation Inter Vivos in the Philippines: Proving Forgery and Document Authenticity
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how to prove forgery of a deed of donation, including the weight of expert testimony and circumstantial evidence.
Venue Is Key: Why Your Libel Case Might Be Dismissed Before It Even Starts in the Philippines
Learn how Philippine courts determine venue in estate cases, and why filing in the wrong place can get your case dismissed early.
Philippine Wage Orders: The Limits of Regional Wage Board Authority
The Supreme Court rules that regional wage boards cannot grant across-the-board increases to all workers, only minimum wage earners.
Who Can Question a Bigamous Marriage? Lessons from Amor-Catalan v. Catalan
A Philippine Supreme Court case clarifies who has legal personality to question a bigamous marriage and the need to prove foreign divorce decrees.
Writ of Possession in Land Registration: Protecting Actual Possessors' Rights in the Philippines
Explain when courts may issue a writ of possession in land registration cases and why actual possessors under claim of ownership are protected.
Just Compensation in Agrarian Reform: Land Valuation and Timely Payment
The Supreme Court rules on how agrarian reform lands should be valued and why delayed payment violates the constitutional right to just compensation.
Affidavits of Desistance: When Can Employees Reclaim Their Rights?
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when affidavits of desistance or quitclaims in labor cases are invalid and employees can pursue their claims.
Divorce Abroad and Remarriage in the Philippines: Legal Standing in Bigamy Cases
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies who may challenge a bigamous marriage when a foreign divorce is involved, and what evidence is required.
Loan Foreclosure in the Philippines: Why Written Contracts Matter
A Supreme Court ruling shows why written loan terms govern foreclosure. Learn key lessons from Baluyut v. Poblete.
Estate Settlement Venue and Remarriage After Foreign Divorce: Key Philippine Rules
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies estate settlement venue means actual residence, and a Filipino divorced by a foreign spouse may remarry.
Just Compensation IN Eminent Domain Determining Fair Market Value IN THE Philippines
Prescription Periods in Labor Disputes: Why Filing on Time and in the Right Court Matters
A Supreme Court ruling on prescription of money claims in labor cases, and why filing in the wrong court can be fatal.
Self-Defense or Murder? Understanding Justifiable Homicide in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains when self-defense is valid and why a killing without treachery is homicide, not murder.
Indirect Contempt in the Philippines: Why Proper Procedure Matters in Wage Orders
A look at how the Supreme Court ruled on procedural lapses and the validity of Wage Order No. R02-03 in Metrobank v. NWPC.
Divorce and Remarriage in the Philippines: Validity and Legal Capacity Explained
A Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains when a Filipino divorced by a foreign spouse may remarry, and how courts determine legal capacity and estate venue.
Suspension of Claims Against Corporations Under Rehabilitation: Philippine Law Explained
Learn how corporate rehabilitation suspends all claims, including labor cases, under Philippine law, based on the PAL v. Zamora ruling.
Can an RTC Annul a DARAB Decision? Jurisdiction in Agrarian Disputes
RTCs generally cannot annul DARAB decisions—they are co-equal bodies. Appeals must go to the Court of Appeals.