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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Heirship Disputes: Why Summary Judgments Fail When Inheritance Rights Are Unclear
Supreme Court explains why summary judgment cannot resolve contested heirship and inheritance rights in estate administration cases.
Understanding Judicial Misconduct: Bias and Ignorance in Estate Administration
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge's gross ignorance of the law and bias in estate proceedings, and the penalties imposed.
Estate Administration: Courts Prioritize Heirs' Best Interests Over Preferences
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies estate administration rules—courts may appoint administrators based on heirs' best interests, not strict preference order.
Filiation and Estate Administration: Clarifying the Scope of DNA Evidence in Determining Heirship
The Supreme Court clarifies when DNA test results may—and may not—be used to remove a special administrator in estate proceedings.
Succession Disputes Resolving Conflicts IN Estate Administration AND Heir Designations
Judicial Delay and Discretion: Balancing Efficiency and Impartiality in Estate Administration
A Supreme Court ruling on when a judge's delay in resolving motions becomes administrative liability, and why judicial discretion in estate cases deserves protection.
Estate Administration: Legal Heirs Preferred in Appointment of Administrator
Supreme Court clarifies that legitimate heirs have priority in estate administration, and co-administrators may only be appointed in exceptional circumstances.
Estate Administration: The Administrator's Right to Examine Documents for Estate Properties
A Supreme Court ruling on an estate administrator's power to compel production of documents believed to reveal properties belonging to the decedent's estate.
Estate Administration Prioritizing Family Ties Over Illegitimacy in Heir Selection
Supreme Court rules on appointing administrators, weighing family ties and adoption over illegitimacy bars in estate cases.
Court Discretion in Estate Administration: When Can a Special Administrator Be Removed
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when courts may remove a special administrator and the limits of judicial discretion in estate proceedings.
Perfecting Appeals THE Definitive Guide ON Filing Deadlines IN Estate Administration
Heirs Rights Substituting A Deceased Devisee Without Prior Estate Administration
Learn when heirs may substitute a deceased devisee in probate without a court-appointed administrator, under Philippine rules.
Estate Administration Discretion IN Appointing A Special Administrator VS Heir Preference
Retroactivity of Procedural Rules: Timely Justice in Estate Administration
The Supreme Court clarifies that procedural amendments apply retroactively, ensuring timely justice in estate administration cases.
Estate Administration Discretionary Power in Appointing Special Administrators
The Supreme Court clarifies that probate courts have sound discretion in appointing special administrators, and heirs have no absolute right to representation.
Disputed Birth Records and Filiation in Philippine Estate Administration
A Supreme Court ruling shows why a birth certificate from the local civil registry can be rejected as spurious when it conflicts with the copy kept by the Civil Registrar General.
When Heirs Disagree: Judicial Partition Over Administration of an Estate
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains when courts may convert estate administration proceedings into judicial partition among heirs.
Heir Disputes: When Courts Can Order Partition Instead of Estate Administration
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when heirs may partition an estate without full administration proceedings, and when courts may convert petitions.
Philippine Estate Administration: When the Surviving Spouse Loses Preference as Administrator
The Supreme Court clarifies when a surviving spouse may lose the preferential right to administer a deceased partner's estate.
Reconveyance Actions and Estate Administration: Jurisdiction vs. Venue in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that seeking appointment as estate administratrix in a reconveyance action affects venue, not jurisdiction, of the RTC.