What Is the Current Status of the Absolute Divorce Bill in the Philippines?
The House passed an absolute divorce bill in 2024, but it lapsed when the Senate never voted. Here’s exactly where the bill stands now, and what options exist today.
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Can a Serious, Incurable Sexually Transmissible Disease Be Grounds for Annulment in the Philippines?
Philippine law does not require a spouse to prove their partner hid anything to seek an annulment over a serious sexually transmissible disease — a disease present at the wedding, on its own, can be enough. But this ground is easy to confuse with a related, differently-defined one that does require proof of concealment, and…
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Is Physical Incapacity (Impotence) a Valid Ground for Annulment in the Philippines?
Physical incapacity to consummate a marriage can be grounds for annulment under Article 45(5) of the Family Code, but Philippine courts presume potency, require strong evidence, and the deadline is only five years from the marriage.
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What Kinds of Fraud Are Grounds for Annulment in the Philippines Under Article 46?
Article 46 of the Family Code lists only four kinds of fraud that can void a marriage: an undisclosed conviction, concealed pregnancy, a concealed STD, or concealed addiction, alcoholism, or homosexuality/lesbianism. Here is what qualifies and what does not.
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Can Force, Intimidation, or Undue Influence Be Grounds for Annulment in the Philippines?
Philippine law allows annulment when a spouse’s consent to marry was obtained through force, intimidation, or undue influence — but the legal standard is narrower than family pressure or a “shotgun wedding,” and the five-year deadline runs from when the coercion ended, not the wedding date.
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Is Lack of Parental Consent (Ages 18 to 21) a Ground for Annulment in the Philippines?
Marrying between 18 and 21 without parental consent makes a marriage voidable under Article 45(1) of the Family Code — but only certain people can sue, only within strict deadlines, and the right can be lost through ratification.
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Is Unsound Mind a Valid Ground for Annulment in the Philippines?
Marrying while of unsound mind can make a Philippine marriage voidable under Article 45(2). Learn the legal test, who may file, the deadline rule, and how the ground is lost.
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Is Abandonment a Ground for Annulment in the Philippines? What the Law Actually Says
Abandonment is not one of the six Family Code grounds for annulment. See why it is a legal-separation ground instead, the faster property remedy it triggers, and how it differs from presumptive death.
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Is Adultery a Ground for Annulment in the Philippines? What the Law Actually Says
Many people searching for a way out of a marriage after a spouse’s affair assume that the affair itself is the legal ground they need. Under Philippine law, it is not. Article 45 of the Family Code lists only six specific causes for annulling a marriage, and adultery or infidelity is not one of them….
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What Happens After an Annulment Decision: Appeal, Entry of Judgment and Registration in the Philippines
Winning — or losing — an annulment or nullity case is not the end of the story. Philippine procedure builds in a mandatory waiting period before any decision becomes final, a strict rule that blocks a straight appeal unless a motion for reconsideration is filed first, and two separate administrative steps — entry of judgment…
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Are annulment, declaration of nullity and legal separation the same?
No. They have different grounds and legal effects. Annulment addresses a voidable marriage, nullity addresses a void marriage, and legal separation does not end the marriage bond.
Can spouses obtain an annulment simply because they agree?
No. Agreement does not replace a statutory ground, evidence, court procedure or the participation of the public prosecutor and other required government actors.
Which guide should I read first?
Begin with the remedy comparison, then move to the focused guide covering the specific ground, evidence, procedure, cost or post-judgment issue involved.
These answers provide general Philippine legal information. Open the linked guides and primary sources for the complete rule and its exceptions.