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.
Lawyer Disbarred for Falsifying Court Documents: A Landmark Ethics Ruling
The Supreme Court disbarred a lawyer for falsifying a nullity of marriage judgment, reaffirming the high ethical standards required of Philippine attorneys.
Breach of Trust When Court Personnel Exploit Position FOR Personal Gain
When a lawyer misappropriates client funds and neglects a case, the Supreme Court may impose the ultimate penalty of disbarment.
Agrarian Reform Exclusion: Land Must Be Used Exclusively for Livestock Raising
The Supreme Court clarifies when lands may be excluded from CARP coverage for livestock raising and why good faith matters.
Lawyer Disbarred for Faking Court Decision and Certificate of Finality
Supreme Court disbars lawyer who simulated an annulment decision and certificate of finality, ruling the acts were deceit and grave misconduct.
Falsification of Court Documents: Accountability and Public Trust in the Judiciary
Court employee dismissed for falsifying a Certificate of Finality in a non-existent case, showing how public trust is protected.
Court Employee Accountability: Certifying False Documents in the Philippine Judiciary
The Supreme Court holds court employees liable for grave misconduct and dishonesty for certifying spurious decisions, reinforcing public trust in the judiciary.
Court Employee Disciplined for Improper Fee Demands and Unprofessional Behavior
Supreme Court suspends a clerk of court for demanding unauthorized fees and acting unprofessionally toward a litigant seeking court documents.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies and the Finality of COA Decisions
Court personnel who certify documents without verifying records face dismissal for gross neglect of duty, as this ruling shows.
Perfecting Appeals: The Jurisdictional Requirement in Estate Proceedings
Why filing both a notice of appeal and record on appeal is jurisdictional in estate cases, and what happens when a party fails to perfect an appeal.
Breach of Contract in the Philippines: Rescission and the Risks of Buying Property with a Notice of Lis Penden
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on rescission, reciprocal obligations, and why a notice of lis pendens binds any buyer of disputed property.