Have You Used A Lawyer In Philippines?

[Dave Hounddriver]

If you have used a lawyer in the Philippines I would be curious to know what you thought of the result. My own experience, and that of people I know personally is that the lawyers are not much help here and the advice they give sounds good, but the instant you get into trouble following that advice, they just change the advice.This topic was prompted by this post:

As for "your only legal remedy", if I am in a situation that requires legal advice I'll spring for a lawyer.

Not trying to be smart but do you have any personal knowledge or experience of foreigners in the Philippines getting satisfaction or 'legal remedy' through use of a lawyer?I personally know many who have used lawyers. Many who have got advice from lawyers. Many who have had judgments in their favor. But I do not, personally, know one person who has actually won a case *and* got more financial compensation as a result of using a lawyer in the Philippines than he would have without the lawyers 'help'. My experience is that the law here is just so much lip service. But this is a new topic so I am going to move my post.

[Tatoosh]

Lawyers in the Philippines have pretty high respect from the natives. And it is not easy to pass the bar exam, though I suppose that there may be ways around that like other PRC exams. I know one woman who has multiple degrees in business and education who finished her degree in jurisprudence but has not managed to pass the bar exam yet. She is neither stupid nor lazy, I guarantee. I am sure there are shysters and opportunists here as there are abroad. For most Americans, lawyers are not held in the highest esteem back in the USA, though part of that may be jealousy of their position and income. This is a good thread and I hope some folks will post their experiences for all of us to learn from.

[billten]

Hmmm, 5 years of involvement in law suits and IME there are ok, bad and awful lawyers here. One thing that is universal is that you must get to know the lawyer and make sure you become well known to him and get to understand what makes him tick too. This will help a lot when things get rough and you need some help. If you do get involved with a twister atty you are soooo screwed and subsequently you should vet, vet and triple vet your choice of atty. Things to think over:1. You will be paying a huge amount up front for the lawyer to accept the case (acceptance fee) so they will promise you the world at the beginning of a case. Make sure you understand that you are driving and pick the right guy for the job.2. Getting back at a crooked lawyer is impossible, the only way to police the lawyer is from within his firm. If you get a middle level lawyer in a big prestigious firm he has a lot more to lose if you complain to his bosses than the one man show who says that you will get his undivided attention. I suggest always picking a decent guy who has much bigger guys inside his firm, make friends with the bigger guys, they could be very helpful later.3. Make friends with the secretary, she will become your best friend, trust me, just make her happy. Its usually not hard, a smile, a tasty treat dropped off when you have an appointment, anything to make her remember you will pay back massive.4. Be ready for the long haul, any case you file or have files against you will take at least 5 years, get ready for that, it can be a grind.5. The legal system here love to put things off, delay, postpone and more, if that drives you crazy, you should not get involved in a law suit.There is probably lots more but its all i can think of at the moment... Bill

[Old55]

Our family and a trusted close Filipino friend knows of and has used a well known Attorney in the Cebu City area. The Attorney was very helpful to our family and has done several cases for my friend who owns a large business. He is honest, connected and good but not inexpensive.I posted about him here in the past he asked not to be named on a forum. If you need contact info PM me but please respect his wishes.

[joeatmanila]

My own experience with lawyers here in Philippines:I have used a lwayer 3 times in 3 different cases. I won each and every of them and all against filipinos. The lawyer him self...forget him, in all 3 cases (disputes over lands and constructions was, not any huge case) i had to use my own way of talking by using authorative posture, diminishing attitude towards the opponents and on the same time respectful towards the laws, court and country. I was right and it was not a dispute in all cases, yes i was scammed or taken advantage as all the kanos from opportunistic small time stupids. The lawyer was a small neighborhood guy, nothing special from a firm or so but so the cases were as well. i could not see the need of paying of 2500p per visit in his office or 100000p per hearing in a court when i could pay 250p per visit and 1500p per court hearing...I do though believe more on my self than the lawyer when i raise a case. BEFORE i go to a lawyer i study my case, how can my opponent come back to me, i disuss it with friends too to get more opinions.

[MikeB]

As for "your only legal remedy", if I am in a situation that requires legal advice I'll spring for a lawyer.

Not trying to be smart but do you have any personal knowledge or experience of foreigners in the Philippines getting satisfaction or 'legal remedy' through use of a lawyer?I personally know many who have used lawyers. Many who have got advice from lawyers. Many who have had judgments in their favor. But I do not, personally, know one person who has actually won a case *and* got more financial compensation as a result of using a lawyer in the Philippines than he would have without the lawyers 'help'. My experience is that the law here is just so much lip service. But this is a new topic so I am going to move my post.

I'm not sure if your question is directed at me but you've taken my quote completely out of context. It was made in reply to the "you have no rights, you're only legal remedy is to get on a plane and leave" comment. If it comes down to that and I feel I'm in the right I'll hire a lawyer. But I'm not someone who runs to lawyers. When I was mowed down and left to die by a hit and run driver (who turned himself into the police only because there were witnesses) my family and everyone from the states was telling me I should sue. I was clearly in the right. I checked with a couple of lawyers here and they said that I would probably win but it would take months and months of hearings and delays, cost a lot, and if you win good luck collecting. Since my medical bills were paid by insurance and the only financial thing at issue was the repair of the rental scooter - 36k, I paid it and let it go.

[billten]

Our family and a trusted close Filipino friend knows of and has used a well known Attorney in the Cebu City area. The Attorney was very helpful to our family and has done several cases for my friend who owns a large business. He is honest, connected and good but not inexpensive.I posted about him here in the past he asked not to be named on a forum. If you need contact info PM me but please respect his wishes.

I would also highly recommend my lawyer. But, i do understand his shortcomings and the methods required to manage the relationship between us. One thing i also should mention is the reputation of the firm or head lawyer is often very useful. My firm is owned my a strident anti-corruption lawyer who is also heavily involved in local politics. On the occasion we have needed to, pulling out the big gun and having him write us a letter has led to miraculous results. Edited February 22, 2012 by billten

[JJReyes]

Anyone know a lawyer in Metro Manila? I need someone to discreetly check the ownership of a rural property and whether or not land tax payments are up to date.

[daisy]

Anyone know a lawyer in Metro Manila? I need someone to discreetly check the ownership of a rural property and whether or not land tax payments are up to date.

you don't need to have a lawyer, all you need is a complete address where the property is located and the full name of the owner. then call the local assessors office. using a lawyer is not a discreet way of checking, not here in PI.... :as-if:although if you need one I can give you a CPA lady lawyer...she does not need to be in Manila but just few phone calls will do it! :-) Edited February 22, 2012 by daisy

[Dave Hounddriver]

using a lawyer is not a discreet way of checking, not here in PI

I know that to be true first hand. I am actually surprised that so many report good experiences with lawyers. A lawyer who is related to my wife makes no apologies when admitting, (to family members), that when someone comes to ask him to check on a good property deal he will buy it himself if it is really a good deal.