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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Navigating Estate Settlements: Understanding the Limits of Intervention in Probate Proceedings
Learn when courts allow intervention in probate cases, the legal standards applied, and practical tips for protecting estate interests.
Marriage Nullity and Estate Settlement: Jurisdiction and Standing Under Philippine Law
Learn how Philippine courts handle marriage nullity and estate settlement, including who has legal standing to challenge a marriage's validity.
Foreign Currency Deposits and Joint Accounts: Consent Requirements in Estate Proceedings
Philippine Supreme Court rules on consent requirements for withdrawing from joint foreign currency deposit accounts during estate settlement.
Perfecting Appeals in Special Proceedings: Why the Record on Appeal Matters
In special proceedings like estate settlement, failing to file a record on appeal is fatal. Learn the rules and avoid losing your appeal.
Reconveyance Actions Survive Death and Stand Apart from Estate Proceedings
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that reconveyance actions survive a party's death and proceed independently of estate settlement proceedings.
Estate Settlement Venue and Void Marriages: Key Lessons from Quiazon
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies estate settlement venue rules and the right to challenge void marriages after death.
Claims Against a Deceased's Estate: Quasi-Contracts and Rule 86 Explained
When must a claim against a deceased person's estate be filed in estate settlement proceedings? The Supreme Court clarifies in Metrobank v. Absolute Management.
Heir Exclusion and Property Sale: Validity and Rights in Estate Settlements
Learn how excluding heirs voids an extrajudicial settlement, the sale's partial validity, and heirs' rights in estate distribution.
Prescription in Estate Settlement: Heirs' Rights and Time Limits Explained
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on prescription periods for heirs contesting extrajudicial estate settlements, fraud discovery, and time limits.
Revocation of Special Administration: Balancing Discretion and Due Process in Estate Settlement
Explore the Supreme Court's ruling on revoking special administrators and appointing regular administrators in estate proceedings.
Lis Pendens Cancellation: Estate Settlement Finality vs Unrelated Agreements
When a judicially approved compromise ends estate proceedings, lis pendens on covered property may be deemed cancelled under PD 1529.
Heirship Rights and Legal Standing in Stockholder Claims: Puno v. Puno Enterprises
Heirs of a deceased stockholder do not automatically gain stockholder rights. Learn the rules on inspection, dividends, and estate settlement.
Sharia Court Jurisdiction Determining Muslim Status For Estate Settlement
The Supreme Court clarifies when Sharia District Courts may hear estate cases and determine if a deceased person was Muslim.
Navigating Appeals in Estate Settlements: Avoiding Forum Shopping Pitfalls
Learn when Philippine courts allow separate appeals and certiorari petitions in estate cases without committing forum shopping.
Deceitful Practices by Lawyers: When Suspension and Disbarment Apply
The Supreme Court clarifies when lawyers face suspension or disbarment for deceitful conduct, citing a case of forged documents and dishonest estate settlement.
Establishing Filiation in Estate Proceedings: The Illegitimate Child's Claim
Explaining Tayag v. Tayag-Gallor: an illegitimate child may prove filiation during estate settlement, not just via recognition action.
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.
Estate Settlement When Probate Courts Cant Decide Ownership Disputes
Learn how Philippine courts handle land registration disputes, including the need for original tracing cloth plans and clear evidence of ownership.
Premature Partition: Estate Settlement Before Property Distribution
When heirs can and cannot demand partition of a decedent's property before estate settlement proceedings are completed.
Attorney's Fees in Estate Settlement: When Can Lawyers Directly Claim From the Estate?
Learn when lawyers may directly claim attorney's fees from an estate in the Philippines, based on Supreme Court rulings and estate settlement rules.
Validity of Adoption in Estate Settlement: Why a Decree Stands Until Annulled
A valid adoption decree cannot be attacked collaterally in estate proceedings. Learn the rule from Reyes v. Sotero.
Duty to Account: Co-Administrators' Responsibilities in Estate Settlement
Supreme Court clarifies co-administrators' duty to render accounting in estate proceedings, and limits of certiorari.
When Language Barriers Invalidate Estate Settlement Agreements
A Supreme Court ruling on when signing an English document without understanding it can void an estate settlement under Article 1332.
Family Compromise Rule Does Not Apply to Estate Settlement Proceedings
Supreme Court clarifies that Article 222's family compromise requirement applies only to ordinary civil actions, not special proceedings like estate settlement.