Step-by-Step Guides
Step-by-step help with everyday paperwork: what to bring, where to go, and how much it costs. General information, not legal advice.
Start From What Is Happening
Guides by subject
Notarized Documents
Getting a Document NotarizedWhat to bring, what the notary checks, and what it costs.Two Kinds of NotarizationSwearing it is true, or confirming you signed it: which one your document needs.Affidavit of LossFor a lost ID, passport, card, licence or plate.Special Power of AttorneyWhen you need an SPA, what to write in it, and how to sign one abroad.Complaint Against a NotaryHow to check if a notary is real, and where to complain.Online NotarizationGetting a PDF notarized in person or over a video call, under the 2025 rules, from 19 October 2026.
Property and Money
Deed of Sale CostsThe taxes and fees after a sale, how much, and when to pay.Transferring a Land TitleFrom the notarized deed to a new title and Tax Declaration in the buyer's name.Transferring a VehicleDeed of Sale, HPG Clearance and LTO steps to put a used vehicle in the buyer's name.Dividing Property After a DeathSplitting property among heirs, when there is only one heir, the newspaper notice, and estate tax.Real Property Tax (Amilyar)How amilyar is computed, when it is due, and the penalty for paying late.Donating PropertyThe Deed of Donation, the tax on gifts, and transferring the title.Checking Land Before BuyingThe title, the seller, taxes, boundaries and land use: what to check before you pay.Renting Out PropertyWritten leases, rent control limits, deposits and advance rent.Loans and Promissory NotesPromissory Notes, interest in writing, and how to collect an unpaid loan.Pag-IBIG Housing LoanWho qualifies, what the loan can pay for, papers to bring, and pasalo risks.Buying From a DeveloperChecking the developer, the papers you sign, refunds if you stop paying, and your title.Getting a Title for Untitled LandGetting a title through the DENR (free patent) or through the court.Lost Land TitleReport the loss to the Registry of Deeds, then ask the Regional Trial Court to order a new owner's copy.Cancelling a MortgageGet the release paper from the lender, then bring it to the Registry of Deeds or the LTO.Bouncing ChecksThe written notice, the five banking days, penalties and what to do next.
Birth, Marriage and Family
Late Birth RegistrationRegistering a birth that was never recorded: what to bring and what happens next.Correcting a PSA CertificateTypos, first names, birthdays and sex entries: when the city hall can fix it and when a court must.Using the Father's SurnameThe father's written admission and the AUSF, filed with the civil registrar.Marriage LicenseWhere to apply, the 10-day wait, parents' consent, and how the license lasts 120 days.Annulment vs Legal SeparationAnnulment, legal separation and foreign divorce, and which ones let you marry again.AdoptionAdopting through the NACC, adopting a relative, and fixing a child registered as your own.Solo Parent IDWho qualifies, where to apply, what to bring, and the help you can get.Travel Clearance for ChildrenWho needs one, who does not, the parents' written consent, and applying online.Making a WillThe two kinds of will, what your family must get, and why a court must approve it.Child SupportWhat support covers, how much, and how to ask for it.Changing Your NameFirst name at the civil registrar, surname in court, and using your married name.LegitimationAfter the wedding, both parents sign a sworn statement and register it with the civil registrar.Recognition of Foreign DivorceWho can use it, the court case, what you must prove, and updating your PSA record.
IDs and Clearances
Barangay CertificatesClearance, proof you live there, proof of low income, and the paper you need before going to court.NBI ClearanceApply online, pay, visit a branch for your photo and fingerprints, and what a "hit" means.Police ClearanceRegister at pnpclearance.ph, pay online, and visit the station you chose.CENOMARWho can ask for it, what to bring, and where to get it from PSA.National ID (PhilSys)How to register, the ePhilID and phone ID, tracking your card, and where it is accepted.PSA CertificatesOrder online or walk in, who may ask for a copy, sending someone, and a "no record" result.PassportBooking online, what to bring for a new or renewed passport, children, and a lost passport.Driver's LicenseStudent Permit, driving courses, getting and renewing your license, and a lost license.Voter RegistrationWho can register, where and when, moving or restoring your registration, and voting from abroad.Senior and PWD IDsWhere to apply, what to bring, and where the 20% discount and no-VAT rule apply.TIN RegistrationWhich BIR form to use, signing up online, the free Digital TIN ID, and why you only get one TIN.
Abroad and OFWs
ApostilleGetting Philippine documents accepted abroad: steps, fees and where to go.Apostille or ConsularizationApostille or the Philippine embassy: how an OFW signs an SPA or affidavit abroad.Dual Citizenship (RA 9225)The oath, where to apply, your children under 18, and your rights afterwards.Report of Birth AbroadReport of Birth at the embassy, delayed reports, the PSA copy, and the child's citizenship.Working Abroad (DMW, OFW Pass)Checking an agency, the OEC and OFW Pass, Balik-Manggagawa, OWWA, and illegal recruitment red flags.
Disputes and Courts
Barangay ConciliationWhich disputes must start at the barangay, the steps, and the paper you need for court.Small ClaimsCollect up to ₱1,000,000 in court with forms, one hearing and no lawyers.Demand LettersWhy it matters, what to write, and how to prove they got it.Eviction ProcessThe written demand, the barangay, the court case, and what landlords cannot do.Consumer ComplaintsRepair, replacement or refund, how to complain to the DTI, and where else to go.Online ScamsCall your bank first, keep evidence, and report to CICC 1326, the PNP or the NBI.Protection OrdersBarangay and court Protection Orders under RA 9262, and where to get help.Debt Collection HarassmentWhat collectors may not do, and how to complain to the SEC, the NPC or the BSP.Data Privacy ComplaintsYour rights, writing to the company's privacy officer, and complaining to the NPC.
Work and Business
Registering a Small BusinessDTI name, Barangay Clearance, Mayor's Permit, BIR, and what to do if you hire workers.Final Pay and COEFinal pay within 30 days, proof of work within 3 days, what you should get, and resigning properly.Labor ComplaintsSettlement talks at DOLE first, then where to go, what to bring, and the deadlines.Benefits After a DeathSSS, GSIS, Pag-IBIG, final pay, insurance and bank deposits, with the papers each needs.13th Month PayWho gets it, how much, the 24 December deadline, if you resigned, and tax.Maternity and Paternity Leave105 days for mothers, the SSS maternity pay, 7 days for fathers, and solo parent leave.SSS BenefitsEvery SSS benefit in one place: who qualifies and how to file on My.SSS.