- Petitioner
- Noveras
- Respondent
- Noveras
- Citation
- G.R. No. 188289
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Decided
- August 20, 2014
Judicial separation of absolute community property and distribution of assets between spouses following foreign divorce
Summary
US citizen spouses David and Leticia Noveras owned properties in Philippines and USA. After David's alleged abandonment in 2003, Leticia obtained California divorce in 2005 receiving all USA properties, then filed for judicial separation of Philippine conjugal properties. The Supreme Court ruled the California divorce decree was improperly recognized due to lack of authentication under Philippine Rules of Evidence, but granted judicial separation under Family Code Article 135(6) due to spouses' separation in fact for over one year. The Court affirmed equal division of Philippine properties between spouses and ordered payment of children's presumptive legitimes, while USA properties remained under California court jurisdiction. The case clarifies requirements for recognizing foreign divorce decrees and application of judicial separation of property provisions.