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 Land Expropriation and Title Reconstitution: A Philippine Law Guide

The Supreme Court clarifies how expropriation, reconstituted titles, and res judicata interact in property disputes.

Eminent Domain and Just Compensation: Land Rights After Incomplete Expropriation

Philippine Supreme Court ruling on expropriation, just compensation, and landowner rights when government fails to pay.

Navigating Will Probate: Key Lessons From a Landmark Philippine Supreme Court Case

A Philippine Supreme Court decision on property under custodia legis offers crucial lessons for lawyers and litigants in estate and will probate cases.

Lawyer Suspended for Borrowing from Client: Anacay v. Alberto Explained

The Supreme Court suspended a lawyer for two years for borrowing money from a client without protecting the client's interests, reaffirming strict fiduciary duties.

Rehabilitation Proceedings Balancing Contractual Obligations AND Corporate Recovery

Explore how Philippine courts balance contractual obligations with corporate rehabilitation, ensuring fair treatment for creditors and debtors.

Overlapping Land Titles: Prior Certificate Prevails in Philippine Law

When two land titles cover the same property, the earlier certificate generally prevails. Learn the rule and its limits.

Lack of Price Certainty: How Indefinite Terms Can Invalidate a Real Estate Sale

Indefinite terms like an uncertain price can void a real estate sale. Learn the rules from a recent Supreme Court ruling.

Contempt of Court for Defying a Corporate Rehabilitation Order in the Philippines

The Supreme Court affirms contempt charges against BIR officials who pursued deficiency tax claims despite a corporate rehabilitation Commencement Order.

Emancipation Patents Under Voluntary Land Transfer: The Marinas Ruling

The Supreme Court clarifies when emancipation patents are valid under PD 27's Voluntary Land Transfer scheme, including co-owner consent and payment timing.

Rape Conviction Upheld: Intimidation Overcomes Lack of Physical Resistance

Philippine Supreme Court rules that intimidation, not physical resistance, is key in rape cases, upholding a conviction based on a knife threat.

Attempted Estafa in the Philippines: Proving Intent to Defraud and Penalties

Learn how Philippine courts prove intent to defraud in attempted estafa cases, the elements of the crime, and the applicable penalties under the Revised Penal Code.

Due Diligence in Land Transactions: Why a Faulty Agreement Can Cost You Your Property in the Philippines

Learn how the Supreme Court's ruling on attempted estafa underscores the critical need for due diligence in Philippine land transactions.

Friar Lands and Faulty Signatures: When Government Neglect Jeopardizes Land Ownership

The Supreme Court's Manotok ruling shows how documentary gaps in friar land sales can undermine even long-standing property claims.