How Divorce Works in Other Countries vs. the Philippines’ Annulment-Only System
The Philippines and Vatican City are the only places without civil divorce. See how the US, UK and Japan actually end marriages, and what Filipinos can do instead.
-
-
Divorce for Filipino Muslims Under PD 1083: How It Differs From Civil Annulment
Filipino Muslims already have a real divorce option under PD 1083 — unlike the civil annulment system everyone else uses. Here are the seven forms of divorce, the court that handles them, and how this track differs from annulment.
-
Can a Foreigner Married to a Filipino Get an Annulment in the Philippines?
A foreign spouse isn’t barred from filing for or facing a Philippine annulment. Here’s how jurisdiction, filing, and summons actually work — and when Article 26 fits better.
-
Judicial Separation of Property vs. Legal Separation in the Philippines: How Do They Differ?
Judicial separation of property only splits a couple’s property regime; legal separation requires a fault-based ground and carries broader consequences. Here is how the two remedies actually differ, and which one fits your situation.
-
Does a Surviving Common-Law Partner Have Inheritance or Property Rights in the Philippines?
When a live-in partner dies, the surviving partner often assumes that years together, or a house bought side by side, automatically means something comes to them. Philippine law draws a hard line here: being someone’s partner is not the same as being their heir, and the property rules that govern a couple while they are…
-
Can a Married Woman Legally Use Her Maiden Name in the Philippines? IDs, Contracts and Passport Rules
Using a husband’s surname is optional under the Civil Code, not mandatory. Here is what Philippine law allows on IDs, contracts and bank accounts, and the passport rule under RA 11983: a one-time reversion to the maiden name.
-
How to Get a Judicial Declaration of Presumptive Death to Remarry in the Philippines
If your husband or wife has been missing for years and you want to remarry, Philippine law does not let you simply treat the marriage as over. Remarrying while a prior marriage still legally exists is void and exposes you to bigamy — unless you first obtain a court declaration that your absent spouse is…
-
What Surname Can a Child Use if the Mother Is Still Legally Married to Someone Else?
Philippine law presumes a child born to a married woman is her husband’s legitimate child, even if another man is the biological father. Here is what that means for the surname, and the real options available.
-
How to Establish Paternity and Filiation in the Philippines Through DNA Testing
How paternity and filiation are proven in the Philippines: what Article 172 accepts as evidence, when courts order DNA testing under the Rule on DNA Evidence, and how to file a filiation petition.
-
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…
