What is the Cost of Annulment in the Philippines?

How Much is the  Cost of  Annulment in the Philippines?

The  total  cost of  annulment in the Philippines  is 150 thousand pesos to 380 thousand pesos . The difference will depend on the lawyer, the  place of filing, and issues like custody, property, and support.

What are the items that make up the Cost of  Annulment in the Philippines?

• The Attorney’s Fee  as part of the cost of  annulment in the Philippines is 100 to 300 thousand pesos (1,500 to 5,500 thousand U.S. dollars)

Attorney’s fees vary widely depending on  experience . Understandably, this is the biggest component of the cost of an annulment in the Philippines. Experience normally carries with it expertise and higher likelihood of success.

Law firms with more lawyers normally would charge more than solo practitioners. Law firms can charge on a per hour or fixed fee basis while individual lawyers generally charge fixed fees.Lawyers can also charge a big amount up front .

A happy compromise is the payment plan which has become popular with the budget-conscious overseas workers. Custody, property, and support issues  will add to the cost of annulment in the Philippines .  Online sources have placed attorney’s fees between 200 thousand pesos to as high as 600,000 pesos.

• The Psychological Evaluation  is  between 20 thousand to 40 thousand pesos (360 to 720 U.S. dollars)

Again, just like with attorney’s fees, the cost of the psychological evaluation as a part of the cost of  annulment in the Philippines varies depending on experience. This normally has two parts, the cost of the report and the appearance fee of the psychologist as a witness in the annulment process. The written Psychological Evaluation Report itself could be as low as 25 thousand pesos to 40 thousand pesos. The appearance fee will depend on where the psychologist or psychiatrist is based relative to the venue or the place of filing of the case. This could be between 2 thousand pesos to 10 thousand pesos per hearing.

• The Filing Fee as Cost of  Annulment in the Philippines  is 5 thousand pesos if there are no properties involved (90 U.S. dollars)

This is an official  fee and legally covered by an Official Receipt in the name of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The biggest portion of the filing fee is the docket fee which in annulment cases that do not involve custody, property or support is a standard 2,832 pesos. Add on cost of annulment in the Philippines  will see some variation depending on the venue or place of filing. Total will be between 4,400 to 4,800 pesos.

• Sheriff’s Fee

All annulment cases in the Philippines will involve service of summons, notices, and other court papers like orders and decisions. The court Sheriff usually serves the summons unless the Petitioner or counsel is authorized by the court.  The court mails all other papers and notices.

The fee of the sheriff is already included in the filing fee paid when the Petition is docketed with the court. (Rule 141, Revised Rules of Court in the Philippines).

• Cost of Publication is 15 thousand to 40 thousand pesos (270 to 720 U.S. dollars)

The law allows for the publication of the summons in those cases where the respondent could not be located or whose whereabouts are unknown (A.M. No. 02-11-10-SC, March 4, 2003 or The PROPOSED RULE ON DECLARATION OF ABSOLUTE NULLITY OF VOID MARRIAGES AND ANNULMENT OF VOIDABLE MARRIAGES) .

The cost will depend on the newspaper which will be assigned by the court. The large national broadsheets charge more than the local newspapers.  Local newspapers can charge between 10 to 20 thousand pesos. There are courts that will even require the publication of the decision which could also add to the cost.

• Cost of Annotation is 20 to 30  thousand pesos (360 to 545 U.S. dollars)

The annotation costs mentioned here refer to the Decision of the court granting the declaration of nullity of the marriage.

The court which rendered the decision will issue a certificate of finality. This is then endorsed to the Civil Registrar of the city or municipality where the court is situated. It will then proceed to the Office of the Civil Registrar where the marriage is registered.Finally , it will be endorsed to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) .. This is optional since the government agencies involved should move it along the system. However, left on its own, the process can take a good 6 months or more to complete. Additional professional fees and regulatory costs total between 10 to 20 thousand pesos.

• Miscellaneous Cost of  Annulment in the Philippines

One should likewise be aware of other out of pocket expenses like printing, mailing, transportation, and stenographic fees as part of the cost of an annulment in the Philippines.

Senate Bill 2443 which seeks to expand the grounds for dissolution of marriage and institutes divorce in the Philippines contains, perhaps, the most detailed provision on indigent parties, allowing the family courts to waive the filing fees and even appoint psychologists and social workers for the indigent parties and their children. It even includes within the definition of indigents those from marginalized groups such as victims of abuse and violence or those belonging to indigenous cultural communities who could not afford the cost of  litigating a petition for dissolution of the marriage.

To read the full text of the law, please CLICK HERE. 

COST OF ANNULMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES

Sources:

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Section 21 A.M. No. 02-11-10-SC, March 4, 2003

Rule 141, Revised Rules of Court in the Philippines

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