DueCounsel Blog
Insights for Philippine Law Firms
Practice management, court deadlines, billing, AI technology, and firm growth — written for Philippine lawyers.
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2025 Transitory Rules on Electronic Filing Explained in Plain Language
Understand the Supreme Court’s 2025 Transitory eFiling Rules, their October 30, 2025 start date, and how they differ from trial-court Rule 13-A.
Philippine Court Deadline Calculator: Calendar Days, Weekends, and Holidays
Compute a calendar-day period with a Rule 22 weekend and holiday adjustment. Includes a 2026 holiday base and additional local non-working dates.
Philippine Appeal Deadlines: MR, Notice of Appeal, Review, and Certiorari
Compare ordinary civil deadlines for reconsideration, appeal, petitions for review, and certiorari, with fresh-period examples and filing checks.
Electronic Notarization in the Philippines: The 2025 Rules in Practice
Understand electronic and remote notarization in the Philippines: ENP commissions, accredited facilities, document eligibility, records, and filing checks.
ULAS for Law Firms: Tracking the 60 Pro Bono Hours Without Chaos
Organize ULAS compliance with a lawyer register, service logs, evidence checks, exclusion review, and a plan for the January 31, 2028 report.
MCLE Compliance in the Philippines: Cycles, Credits, and Deadlines
Plan MCLE compliance under the announced 2026 rules: credits, cycle verification, exemptions, ULAS crossover, and a firm-level tracking workflow.
Data Privacy for Law Offices: NPC Registration and a Practical DPA Checklist
Assess NPC registration for a Philippine law office and organize client-data mapping, access controls, vendor review, retention, and incident response.
VAT, Invoices, and BIR Rules for Philippine Law Firms
Organize attorney-fee invoicing after EOPT: VAT review, invoices versus receipts, withholding records, client advances, and monthly reconciliation.
Attorney’s Fees in the Philippines: Retainers, Acceptance Fees, and an Engagement Letter Template
Explain acceptance fees, retainers, hourly and fixed fees, expenses, and billing terms. Download an editable Philippine engagement letter starting template.
Lawyer’s Trust Accounts in the Philippines: From Rule 16.01 to the CPRA
Build a Philippine client-fund workflow: separate records, receipts, disbursement approvals, reconciliation, and accounting under the current CPRA.
How Philippine Law Firms Accept GCash, Maya, and Bank Payments
Set up law firm payment instructions, compare collection channels, verify settlements, allocate client money, and connect collections to BIR invoices.
Do Lawyers Need a CRM? Client Management for Philippine Firms
Compare spreadsheets, generic CRMs, and legal client-management systems using a practical inquiry-to-matter workflow for Philippine law firms.
Client Intake and Conflict Checks: A Philippine Law Firm SOP and Free Checklist
Create a repeatable law firm intake process with party searches, escalation, engagement approval, matter opening, and a downloadable conflict-check checklist.
Law Firm KPIs for Managing Partners: Utilization, Realization, and Collections
Define law firm KPIs consistently, calculate utilization and collection rates, and use a monthly review to find workload, billing, and cash-flow problems.
Running a Hybrid Litigation Practice: E-Filing, Runners, and Remote Staff
Coordinate electronic filings, physical documents, runners, and remote legal staff with manifests, clear owners, proof of completion, and backup plans.
Hiring a Legal Secretary or Paralegal in the Philippines: Job Description, Pay Planning, and Training
Define legal secretary and paralegal roles, build a defensible salary range, use a practical job description, and plan the first 30 days of training.
Law Firm SEO in the Philippines: The Operator’s Guide
Plan useful legal content, improve crawlable pages, measure qualified inquiries, and maintain sources while respecting Philippine professional advertising rules.
Best Legal Practice Management Software in the Philippines (2026): An Honest Comparison
Compare DueCounsel, Clio, Lawcus, Lexzur, and Beveron using Philippine workflow fit, published capabilities, implementation questions, and a demo scorecard.
AI in Philippine Legal Practice: What’s Safe, What Can Lead to Sanctions
Create a responsible AI workflow for Philippine legal work: verify authorities, protect client data, review drafts, and keep a clear record of lawyer approval.
Guide for Lawyers: How to Apply as an Electronic Notary Public (eNotary) in the Philippines
A quick guide for Philippine lawyers applying as an Electronic Notary Public: qualifications, documentary requirements, the PJP application process, and electronic commissions.
Philippine Legal Holidays 2026: Complete Calendar for Law Firms
Complete list of 2026 Philippine holidays with categories — regular holidays, special non-working holidays, and special working holidays. Essential for deadline computation.
Complete Guide to Practice Management for Philippine Law Firms
Everything Philippine law firms need to know about practice management software — matter management, deadlines, billing, documents, and team collaboration.
Philippine Court Deadlines: A Complete Guide for Lawyers
Comprehensive guide to court deadlines in the Philippines — RTC, Court of Appeals, Supreme Court, NLRC, and administrative agencies. Learn deadline computation rules and how to never miss a deadline.
How to Choose Legal Software in the Philippines
Comparison of legal software options for Philippine law firms — features to look for, pricing models, PH-specific needs, and why generic tools fall short.
Solo Law Practice in the Philippines: Tools and Strategies
How Philippine solo lawyers can manage cases, deadlines, billing, and clients without an admin team — using modern tools and efficient workflows.
How to Track Court Deadlines in the Philippines: A Practical Guide
Learn how Philippine lawyers can track court deadlines effectively — from understanding receipt-based computation under the Rules of Court to using deadline tracking software with Philippine holiday awareness.
How Filipino Lawyers Manage Case Files: From Folders to AI
How Philippine law firms organize case files — from traditional folder systems to modern practice management software with AI-powered search and document management.
How to Manage Law Firm Billing in the Philippines: A Complete Guide
How Philippine law firms can manage billing effectively — from retainer tracking and acceptance fees to VAT-compliant invoices, GCash/Xendit payments, and billable hours tracking.
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