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.
Estate Tax in the Philippines: A Practical Guide for Heirs and Beneficiaries
Learn the Philippine estate tax rules: the 6% rate, deductions, filing deadlines, exemptions, and penalties under the TRAIN Law.
Proving Filiation for Inheritance: Delayed Birth Registration in Philippine Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies how delayed birth registrations and other evidence establish filiation for inheritance claims in the Philippines.
Understanding Void Marriages: The Impact of Simulated Unions on Legal Validity in the Philippines
A simulated marriage used as a front for benefits is void ab initio. The Supreme Court explains why in Ado-an-Morimoto v. Morimoto.
Proving Filiation After Death: The Strict Rules on Inheritance Claims
Philippine law sets strict evidence rules for proving filiation after a parent's death. Learn what the Supreme Court requires in inheritance disputes.
Baptismal Certificates and Filiation: Proving Legal Parentage in Inheritance Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that baptismal and marriage certificates alone cannot prove filiation for inheritance claims, citing Family Code rules.
Judicial Misconduct When Solemnizing Marriages Goes Wrong
Two judges fined P40,000 each for sham wedding solemnization. Learn the rules on judicial marriage officiation.
Correcting Birth Certificate Entries: When to File with the Civil Registrar or the Court
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when birth certificate corrections need administrative filing under RA 9048 versus judicial action under Rule 108.
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.
Falsification of Public Documents: When Reasonable Doubt Leads to Acquittal
A mayor was acquitted of falsifying marriage certificates when the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he did not solemnize the weddings.
Bigamy and the Second Spouse: Liability as an Accomplice Under Philippine Law
When can a second spouse be held liable for bigamy in the Philippines? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules on accomplice liability and marriage validity.
When a Blessing Becomes an Illegal Marriage Ceremony: The Ronulo Case
The Supreme Court clarifies when a priest's blessing of a couple without a marriage license becomes an illegal marriage ceremony under Article 352 of the Revised Penal Code.
Presumption of Marriage Overcomes Lost Records in Philippine Law
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how lost marriage records affect proof of marriage, presumption of marriage, and bigamy claims.
Indispensable Parties: Why Government Agencies Must Be Included in Correction of Public Record Cases
The Supreme Court nullified a correction of birth date ruling because government agencies were not impleaded as indispensable parties. Learn the rules.
SSS Death Benefits: Does Legal Separation Bar a Spouse’s Claim?
Legal marriage alone does not guarantee SSS death benefits—surviving spouses must prove actual dependency, especially after separation.
Residency vs. Domicile in Philippine Elections: The Pundaodaya Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies that voter registration and property ownership do not prove election residency, which legally means domicile.
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.
Change of Name Petitions: Substantial Compliance with Jurisdictional Requirements
Supreme Court rules on change of name petitions, publication requirements, and jurisdictional compliance under Rule 103.
Statutory Rape: Why Proving Familial Relationship Matters in Aggravated Cases
A Supreme Court ruling shows that in statutory rape, the qualifying circumstance of relationship must be proven beyond reasonable doubt, not merely alleged.
Judicial Overreach: When a Judge Solemnizes Marriage Outside Jurisdiction
A judge who solemnized a marriage outside his court's jurisdiction and failed to register it was fined P5,000. Learn the rules.
Judicial Overreach Defining Jurisdictional Boundaries IN Marriage Solemnization
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies judges' authority in marriage solemnization, ruling on jurisdiction limits and administrative liability.
Rape Allegation vs Proof: Why Qualifying Circumstances Must Be Alleged and Proven
A rape conviction reduced from death to reclusion perpetua because the prosecution failed to allege and prove the victim's minority and the offender's status as stepfather.
Establishing Legal Marriage and Legitimacy in Inheritance Disputes: Balogbog v. Court of Appeals
How Philippine courts presume marriage and legitimacy in inheritance disputes, and what evidence can prove filiation when records are lost.