Philippines - Dissolution of Marriage

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Procedure

Apply In-Person:

1. To apply for Dissolution of Marriage, the applicant has to approach Regional Trial Court in the Philippines. link

   Note: The applicant can click on their region and city from the drop-down menu or applicant can enter their court name or city to find nearby courts to them.

2. To file, the lawyer must prepare a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage signed by the lawyer and sworn to by you (the Petitioner).
3. The Petition will contain copies of all the relevant documents and must also be accompanied by the Judicial Affidavit of the proposed witnesses.
4. Then the Regional Trial Court will order that the substance of the Petition be published in a random newspaper once a week for 3 weeks.
5. The case will be calendared for first Hearing and Notices of this will be served to the Philippine government offices concerned, to the last known address of the ex-spouse, and to any other required parties.
6. The Testimony of a Witness will be through a Judicial Affidavit. A Judicial Affidavit is used to speed up the Trial.
7. In a Judicial Affidavit, the lawyer’s questions and the answers of the Witness are set into writing and Notarized before the Hearing. During court, a Witness will simply identify and affirm this Judicial Affidavit in Court to complete her direct Testimony.
8. After all the evidence is submitted, the lawyer will submit to the Regional Trial Court a legal document known as a Formal Offer of Evidence.
9. If there is no active opposition by other parties, the Petitioner will then await the Court’s Decision. The waiting after these submissions will probably take a few months because of the clogged court dockets.
10. The Trial can take about a year and a half to finish from date of filing. This can vary depending on the situation.
11. A Dissolution of Marriage in Philippines cost can vary. Certainly, a Petition entails a number of different costs. There are the minimal fees to be paid to government offices for the Certified Copies of documents.

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Required Documents

• Philippine Marriage Certificate/Record if the marriage was in the Philippines
• Proof of citizenship
• A brief marital history
• Birth certificate of children if any

Office Locations & Contacts

SUPREME COURT OF THE PHILIPPINES
Padre Faura St., Ermita, Manila
Philippines 1000
Email: [email protected]
Hotline Numbers: (02) 8552-9644, 0908-8500919
Court Hotlines and Email Addresses Link
Regional Trial Court in the Philippines link

Note: The applicant can click on their region and city from the drop-down menu or applicant can enter their court name or city to find nearby courts to them.

Eligibility

• Any person who intends to apply for Dissolution of Marriage is eligible to make this application.

Fees

• A Dissolution of Marriage in Philippines cost can vary. Certainly, a Petition entails a number of different costs. There are the minimal fees to be paid to government offices for the Certified Copies of documents.

Validity

• The validity of Dissolution of Marriage is forever.

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

• The Trial can take about a year and a half to finish from date of filing. This can vary depending on the situation.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
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Instructions

• Applicants must complete the application form before submitting it. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Applicants must provide genuine information while applying for this procedure.

Required Information

• Name of the applicant
• Civil Status
• Citizenship
• Email Address
• Contact Number/s
• Postal Address
• Type of current Philippine visa
• Name of Institution
• Postal Address:
• Contact Numbers
• Contact Person/Designation

Need for the Document

• Dissolution of Marriage is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the cancelling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the bonds of matrimony between a married couple under the rule of law of the particular country or state.

Information which might help

• Both divorce and dissolution are ways to end a legally binding relationship; however, the key difference between the two is that where divorce is for legally married couples, dissolution is usually for those in a civil partnership.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses for obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

Link

Others

More information which might help people.