The sad reality about marriage is that it does not work for all couples.
Many say this harsh reality is the reason why many couples in the Philippines opt to only live together and veer away from tying the knot.
In the Philippines, the number of people getting married have gone down to 414,325 in 2015 compared to 492,666 in 2006 as per data from the Philippine Statistics Authority as cited by GMA News.
Couples who find that their marriages do not work anymore can opt to get an annulment to have their marriages voided.
However, this process comes at a hefty cost.
In an episode of ‘Bawal ang Pasaway kay Mareng Winnie’, lawyer Raymund Fortun and Pro-Divorce PH chair Asliyah Limbona said getting annulled in the Philippines costs around Php450,000.
If the other party, however, contests the annulment case, costs can reach millions.
Fortun added that this amount can be bigger as some law firms charge double for annulment cases.
The lawyer also said that money should not be the sole consideration in filing annulment as time also serves as a crucial factor for couples wanting to get their marriage annulled.
Based on Fortun’s experience, he has handled cases that took three years before getting approved due to several reasons, including court scheduling.
Typical annulment cases can drag on for one and a half years.
The high cost of getting an annulment in the Philippines is one of the main reasons why some lawmakers are pro-divorce.
Members of the House of Representatives have recently approved the bill to legalize divorce in the Philippines.
The bill has been submitted to the Senate for further discussion.
Some senators, however, have already expressed that they are against the legalization of divorce. The senators said their focus is on making annulment more accessible for couples.
President Rodrigo Duterte also previously said he is against divorce.
Under the bill, the grounds for the granting of an absolute divorce include:
• The grounds for legal separation and annulment of marriage under the Family Code of the Philippines;
• Separation in fact for at least five years;
• Legal separation by judicial decree for at least two years;
• Psychological incapacity;
• Gender reassignment surgery;
• Irreconcilable differences; and
• Joint petition of spouses
The court will start hearing a divorce case six months after the petition was filed to give opportunities for the couple to reconcile.
Moreover, the bill states that cases of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are given priority on court hearings.
Another provision in the bill says that the state should ensure that the process of obtaining divorce should be inexpensive and affordable.
