LEGAL FORMS (Law 640)

2020 COURSE SYLLABUS

WEEKLY SESSIONS

Course Description: A course which trains the students in the drafting of various
legal documents and deeds, as well as judicial pleadings and briefs. Likewise, this
course entails the review of the substantive laws learned by the students in the pre-
requisite subjects, and the incorporation of their concepts in the legal and judicial
forms to be prepared by them.

Chapter I. INTRODUCTION -
A. Law and Legal Writing in the Philippines
1. Language of the Law
a. Secs. 6 - 9, Art XIV, 1987 Constitution
b. Sec. 10, Rule 138, Rules of Court

2. Legal Writing
a. Definition
b. Types

3. Types of Legal Writing

a. Legal Analysis
b. Legal Drafting

4. Elements of Good Legal Writing

a. Simplicity
b. Clarity
c. Persuasiveness

B. Efficient Paper Rule (A.M. No. 11-9-4-SC)

PART I. LEGAL FORMS

Chapter II. LEGAL FORMS

A. Coverage
1. Business Forms
2. Judicial Forms

B. Importance (Arts. 749, 806, 1356, 1358, 1359, 1403, 1405, 2096 Civil
Code)
1. Is form required for the validity of the contract
2. When is form important
3. Instances when agreement must be in a public document

C. Definitions and Distinctions

Conveyance, Deed v. Will, Private v. Public Document, Jurat v.
Acknowledgment

Chapter III. The 2004 RULES ON NOTARIAL PRACTICE

i. Definitions

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 Acknowledgement, Affirmation/Oath, Jurat, Affidavit,
notarial certificate, principal, competent evidence of identity

ii. Importance attached to the act of notarization

iii. Commissioning of Notary Public
iv. Powers and Limitations of Notaries Pubic
Cases:
a. Aquino, et. al. v. Pascua Nov. 28, 2007
b. Abella v. Cruzabra June 4. 2009
c. Laquindanum v. Quintatna June 29, 2009
d. Angeles v. Ibañez, Jan. 15, 2009
e. Legaspi v. Landrito and Toribio Oct. 15, 2009

FORMS
1. Affidavit of Loss
2. Affidavit of Good Faith
3. Affidavit of Merit

a. Meaning of “SS” or Silicet

b. Instances where an affidavit is executed in support of a motion or
petition
Rules 22, 30, 34, 35, 37, 57, 58, 59 60 and 61, Rules of Court
Attachment
Replevin
Preliminary Injunction
Receivership
Alimony Pendente Lite

c. Effect if no Affidavit is Filed or affidavit is defective

Jardine v. CA, 171 SCRA 636, 1989)

Chapter IV. AUTHENTICATION, OATH, AFFIRMATION

A. Acknowledgment Taken Outside the Country

Authentication of a Document by the Phil. Consul

B. Authentication of Electronic Data Messages and Electronic Document

Electronic documents and e-signatures Sections 6 to 13, 21 to 23 of
RA 8792 E-Commerce Act

C. Oath
Officials authorized to administer oath
Method of administering oaths
Republic Act 6733 - Representatives
Republic Act 10755 – Barangay chair ( Fortuno Law)

Chapter V. MARINE PROTEST, AGENCY and PARTNERSHIP

4. Marine Protest
Meaning; Effect of Non Filing

A. AGENCY Arts. 1868. 1877, 1878 Civil Code

5. Special Power of Attorney
6. General Power of Attorney

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 7. Revocation of Power of Attorney
Case: International Exchange Bank v. Spouses Briones
Agency coupled with interest, principal cannot revoke unilaterally

B. PARTNERSHIP (Arts. 1772, 1773, 1768, 1789, 1808, 1843, 1844)

Definition and character
Formalities
Distinction between General and Limited Partnership
8. Articles of Partnership (General)
9. Articles of Partnership (Limited)

CHAPTER VI. CORPORATION (Corporation Code)

Definition, Articles of Incorporation
Contents - Name, Purpose, Place, Term, Names and Residence of
corporators, Number of Directors, Amount of Capital Stock
Grounds for Rejection

10. Articles of Incorporation of Stock Corporation

11. Treasurer’s Affidavit
12. Articles of Incorporation of Non-Stock Corporation
13. Certification of Board Resolution by Corporate Secretary

Piercing the corporate veil

(Zambrano et. al. v. Phil Carpet Manufacturing, et. al, June 21, 2017)

Reverse piercing of the corporate veil

(I/AME v. Litton and Company, Inc., Dec. 13, 2017)

Grandfather’s rule
(Narra Nickel Mining v. Redmont Consolidated Mines, April 21, 2014

Service of Process upon a Corporation

Sec. 11, Rule 14, Rules of Civil Procedure

CHAPTER VII. DONATIONS

(Review Title III. Articles. 725 to 773)
Requisites
Kinds
14. Donation Inter Vivos
The Missionary Sisters v. Alzona, August 6, 2018
15. Donation Mortis Causa
Bonsato v. CA, July 30, 1954

CHAPTER VIII. SUCCESSION

(Review Title IV Civil Code)
Sound Mind
Formalities of a Will
Who may be witnesses to the will
Attestation clause

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 Executor, administrator
Rules 73 and 74, Rules of Court

16. Last Will and Testament

17. Holographic Will
18. Codicil
19. Bequest
20. Legacy
21. Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate with Waiver of Rights
22. Extrajudicial Settlement with Absolute Sale
23. Pagbabahaging Labas sa Hukuman

Chapter IX. SALE

A. Forms of Contract of Sale (Arts. 1483, 1487)
B. Capacity to buy and sell (Arts. 1489 – 1492)
1. Persons who can buy or sell
2. Persons incapacitated to buy or sell
3. Relative incapacity vs. Absolute incapacity
4. Reasons of the prohibition
5. Effect on contract entered
6. Foreign Investment Act (RA 8179)
7. Dual Citizenship (RA 9225)

Review Arts. 234-FC, CC – 1327, 1328, 1390, 1397

Legal Redemption (Arts. 1619 – 1623)

24. Sale of Real Property (English Filipino)

25. Sale of Real Property (Filipino)
26. Sale of Personal Property(English
27. Sale of Personal Property(Filipino)

CHAPTER X. LEASE and ASSIGNMENT

Review provisions on lease
Review provisions on assignment
Stipulations on contracts

28. Lease of Real Property (English)

29. Lease of Real Property (Filipino)
30. Lease of Personal Property (English)
31. Lease of Personal Property (Filipino)
32. Chattel Mortgage (English)
33. Chattel Mortgage (Filipino)
34. Real Estate Mortgage (English)
35. Real Estate Mortgage (Filipino)
36. Assignment of Proceeds of Insurance Policy

CHAPTER XI. NEGOTIABLE INSTRUMENT

37. Promissory Note

CHAPTER XII. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

38. Application for Copyright

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 Definition of copyright, trademark, patent, tradename
Rules for Registration of names
Dynasty Enterprises v. Solicitor General, Nov. 28, 1986
La Chemise La Coste v. Fernandez, 172 SCRA 373

PART II. JUDICIAL FORMS

CHAPTER XIII. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF PLEADING

Review Rule 7, Rules of Civil Procedure
a. Sufficient in Form and Substance
Villarica v. CA, March 16, 1992

Review Rule 9
b. How are pleadings construed
Phil. Veterans Bank v. CA, 173 SCRA 544
Orbit Trans v. WCC, 58 SCRA 78

Parts of a Pleading
c. Caption
d. Jurisdictional Allegations (Rule 8)
1. Ultimate facts v. Evidentiary facts
2. Alternative causes of action or defense
3. Averment of condition precedent
4. Capacity
e. Signature and Address
f. Verification
Who must sign the verification
Pleadings that need to be verified
g. Certification of Non-Forum Shopping

CHAPTER XIV. JURISDICTION OF COURTS

Batas Pambansa Bilang 129
Review Jurisdictions of first level courts
Regional Trial Court
Court of Appeals
Supreme Court

CHAPTER XV. JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT RULE (A.M. No. 12-8-SC)

Topics to be discussed in the following judicial proceedings are

based on the criminal, civil, and special proceedings forms to be submitted.

CHAPTER XVI. CRIMINAL ACTION

39. Complaint (Criminal Case)

40. Motion to Suspend Arraignment
41. Motion to Quash
42. Petition for Bail
43. Counter-Affidavit

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 44. Notice of Appeal

CHAPTER XVII. CIVIL ACTION (Rule 6, Civil Procedure)

45. Complaint (Ejectment)
46. Motion to Dismiss (Rule 15)
47. Answer
48. Motion for Postponement
49. Memorandum/Position Paper

CHAPTER XVIII. SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS

50. Application for Registration of Title
Sec. 14, PD 1529 and the Chapter on Original Registration

51. Petition for Issuance of New Certificate of Tile

Secs 107 to 110, PD 1529

52. Petition for Correction of Name

RA 9048 as amended by RA 10172 Administrative Correction of
Clerical/Typographical Errors in the Birth Certificate

53. Petition for the Probate of Will and the Issuance of Letters
Testamentary
Rule 76 – 1 to 11
Art. 811, 838

Review Canon 22, Code of Professional Responsibility

54. Notice of Appearance as Counsel
55. Motion to Withdraw as Counsel with the conformity of the client
56. Motion to Withdraw as Counsel without the conformity of the
client

Cases to follow.

References:
1. Legal Forms. Rolando Suarez. 2019
2. Legal Forms. Sulpicio Guevarra. 2001
3. Legal Writing: A Competency-Based Approach. Marvel Gil Tabucanon. 2010
4. Notaries Public Debasing the Legal Profession. Ferdie Sanchez. 2009.
5. Primer on the New Rules on Notarial Practice, Regalado Maambong
6. Comments and Cases on Sales and Lease. De Leon and De Leon, Jr. 2014
7. Comments and Cases on Credit Transactions. De Leon. 1999
8. Property Registration Decree and Related Laws, Justice Oswa;do Agcaoili. 2011
9. Civil Code
10. Family Code
11.Revised Penal Code
12. Revised Rules of Court
13.Commercial Code

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