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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Second Marriages Validity Hinges ON Proof OF Dissolution OF THE First
Supreme Court rules a marriage certificate alone cannot prove bigamy; the prior marriage must be shown to still subsist.
Bigamy Conviction Upheld Despite Void Second Marriage Understanding Fraud AND Legal Consequences
Supreme Court affirms bigamy conviction of second spouse who knowingly married a man with a subsisting marriage, ruling she cannot escape liability by claiming her own fraudulent marriage was void.
Second Marriages and SSS Benefits: Proving Legal Spousal Status for Social Security Claims
The Supreme Court clarifies that only a legal spouse qualifies for SSS death benefits, even if the member designated a second wife as beneficiary.
Breach of Marital Vows: Disbarment for Bigamous Marriage Justified
A lawyer who contracts a second marriage while his first remains valid commits gross immorality warranting disbarment, the Supreme Court ruled.
Bigamy and the Need for a Judicial Declaration of Nullity Before Remarriage
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that contracting a second marriage without first securing a judicial declaration of nullity of the first constitutes bigamy.
Bigamy and Nullity of Marriage: When a Void Second Marriage Still Leads to Criminal Liability
The Supreme Court clarifies that a subsequent declaration of nullity of a second marriage does not erase criminal liability for bigamy.
Bigamy in the Philippines: When a Second Marriage Is Void From the Start
Philippine law voids any second marriage contracted while a prior civil marriage subsists. Learn the rules, limits of Muslim divorce, and who may sue.
When a Lawyer's Second Marriage Becomes a Professional Misconduct Case
A municipal legal officer faces suspension for contracting a second marriage while his first remained valid, highlighting lawyers' duty to know the law.
Upholding Ethical Standards: One-Year Suspension for Lawyer's Bigamous Marriage
A municipal legal officer's second marriage while his first subsists violates lawyer ethics. The Supreme Court explains why.
Lawyer Suspended for Contracting Second Marriage While First Was Subsisting
A lawyer's second marriage while his first remained valid led to a one-year suspension, underscoring lawyers' duty to know the law.
Bigamy and Expired Notarial Commission: When a Lawyer’s Private Life Triggers Discipline
A lawyer’s bigamous second marriage and notarizing without a commission led to a four-year suspension. Here’s what the Court ruled.
Second Marriages and SSS Death Benefits: Why Court Decisions Matter
The Supreme Court rules on whether the SSS can disregard a court declaration of presumptive death when awarding death benefits.
Bigamy and Presumptive Death: When a Second Marriage Becomes a Crime
The Supreme Court explains why a judicial declaration of presumptive death is required before remarrying, and when bigamy applies.
Bigamy and Void Marriages: When a Second Marriage Can Be Valid
The Supreme Court explains when a second marriage is not bigamous, even if the first marriage was never judicially annulled.
Divorce Recognition Proving Legal Capacity To Remarry After A Foreign Divorce
Philippine courts do not take judicial notice of foreign laws and divorce decrees. Both must be proven, or a second marriage may be void.
When a Judicial Decree of Nullity Is Not Required for Remarriage Under the Civil Code
The Supreme Court explains when a void first marriage needs no judicial declaration before a second marriage, under the Civil Code regime.
Second Marriages and Absent Spouses: Validity Under the Civil Code Explained
When a first spouse disappears, can a second marriage be valid? The Supreme Court clarifies the rules under the Civil Code.