Text of the provision

Art. 1457. An implied trust may be proved by oral evidence.

Civil Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 386, approved June 18, 1949, effective August 30, 1950. Reproduced in full; verified verbatim against the LawPhil and ChanRobles renderings and the Official Gazette, all three of which agree word for word.

What this article means

The last article of the Trusts title, immediately before the Code turns to Sales. Unlike an express trust, which typically rests on a written instrument or clear declared intent, an implied trust — one the law reads into a transaction from the parties' conduct or the equities of the situation (see the resulting- and constructive-trust articles immediately before this one) — need not be proved in writing. Oral evidence suffices, though as a practical matter courts require it to be trustworthy, satisfactory, and convincing, since claims of an unwritten trust are easy to allege and hard to disprove.

Related provisions

Cases interpreting this article

Note. The text of the provision above is reproduced in full from the official enactment (Republic Act No. 386), verified against the LawPhil and ChanRobles renderings. The annotation and commentary around it are the work of Vivas & Nobles Law Office and are general legal information, not legal advice. How a provision applies to a particular situation depends on facts that only a lawyer reviewing your case can assess.