Text of the provision
Art. 72. When one of the spouses neglects his or her duties to the conjugal union or commits acts which tend to bring danger, dishonor or injury to the other or to the family, the aggrieved party may apply to the court for relief.
(116a)
Family Code of the Philippines, Executive Order No. 209, approved July 6, 1987. The Code took effect on August 3, 1988 (Republic v. Orbecido III, G.R. No. 154380, October 5, 2005). Reproduced in full.
What this article means
Where one spouse neglects their marital duties, or does something that tends to bring danger, dishonor, or injury to the other spouse or the family, the aggrieved spouse may go to court for relief. This is a general remedy sitting alongside — and short of — the specific, harder-to-meet grounds for legal separation in Article 55.
Questions about this provision
Related provisions
- Article 68 — the marital duties whose neglect triggers this remedy.
- Article 55 — the specific grounds for legal separation.
Cases citing this article
- Ma. Socorro Camacho-Reyes vs. Ramon Reyes, G.R. No. 185286, August 18, 2010 — read the decision on LawPhil →
Compiled automatically from Supreme Court decisions published on LawPhil that expressly cite this article, most frequently cited first. A listing means the decision cites the provision — it is not a statement that the case is the leading authority, and it does not show whether a ruling has since been modified or abandoned. Always read the decision itself.