Recent Legislations On Family Law

RECENT LEGISLATIONS ON FAMILY LAW: Since its official effectivity on August 3, 1988, the Family Code of the Philippines has undergone several changes and amendments, as follows: 1. Republic Act No. 9048- amending Articles 376 adn 412 of the Civil Code authorizing the administrative correction of typographical and/or clerical errors in the Civil Register or change of name or nickname. 2. Republic Act No. 8972-otherwise known as the Solo Parents Act of 2000, giving certain recognized rights and privilleges to solo parents and their children, such as flexible working hours, parental leave, educational benefits, and medical assistance. 3. Republic Act 8552-otherwise known as the Domestic Adoption Law, is the most comprehensive revision to date of the adoption laws of the Philippines, which delienates the substantive requisites for adoption, extending its coverage, and refining the procedure to obtain an adoption. 4. Republic Act No. 8043-otherwise known as the Inter-Country Adoption Act of 1995, provides for the procedure to adopt children in the Philippines. 5. Republic Act No. 8369-recognizing the growing clamor for the more expedient resolution of family law cases, it provides for the creation of Family Courts throughout the country. 6. Republic Act No. 8171--providing for the repatriation of Filipinas who have lost Philippine citizenship by virtue of marriage to foreign nationals. 7. Republic Act No. 8533--extending the right to seek the nullity of void marriages on the ground of psychological incapacity under Art. 39 of the Family Code of the Philippines even beyond the original ten year prescriptive period under the original provisions of the Family Code. 8. Republic Act No. 7192--otherwise known as the Women in Development and Nation Building Act-givng equal rights to women in all contractual situations, admission to military schools and other kindred rights and privilleges.One notable feature is the recognition by the statute of the right of home builders or those who devote full time to the management of the household to voluntary social welfare privilleges deductible from the salary of the working spouse. 9. Republic Act No. 9255-allowing illegitimate children to use the surname of their father. 10. Republic Act No. 9262--otherwise known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004, providing relief for victims of physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuse. 11. Republic Act No. 9344-raising the age of criminal liability of minors, specifically providing for exemption to criminal liability to minors below 15 years of age, and conditional criminal liability to minor offenders between 15 and years of age, only when acting with discernment.