How to Study for Persons and Family Relations

1. Your primary reference, whether a commentary or a book, depends on the assignment of your professor, or the professor teaching your class. The Legarda commentary, the

Pangalangan commentary, and the Sempio-Diy handbook are common references for

Persons class. For advanced reading, Arturo Tolentino’s commentary on the Civil Code is the main text used for the Civil Code portion of Persons class. Justice Paras’ commentary will suffice as both a Civil Code and Family Code reference. However, it is still recommended to wait for professors to be assigned before purchasing a commentary that will serve all your Persons and Family Relations needs for the first semester.

2. In Persons class, codal provisions and jurisprudence are of paramount importance.

While commentaries are very useful In Persons and Family Relations, develop mastery on the Family Code itself, and the cases. Never read cases in a vacuum. As the Family

Code is a relatively recent law, jurisprudence is in a state of constant evolution and you will have to get used to tracking the development of certain doctrines over time.

3. MEMORIZE PERTINENT PROVISIONS (especially the ones your professors emphasize). Memorize the grounds for annulment, legal separation, the difference between voidable and void.

4. Out of all the freshman first semester subjects, it is in Persons and Family Relations where the facts matter most when reading cases. Oftentimes, you will have to take note of the dates of events. Learn how to identify the relevant facts. Persons classes tend to have more cases per session compared to other classes, and identifying the facts pertinent to the topic will save you a lot of time, energy, and ink.