Divorce, Pinoy Style

[Singers]

Convert to being a Muslum, then you can have as many wifes as you wish....

Convert and the next party could be a proper Shiite gathering...UK Tom

[retired]

Because of this "case-to-case" ruling and the relaxation of the guidelines, it is now difficult to predict how individual cases would be decided. There are no more firm standards to which decisions could be anchored. Sometimes, when parties collude successfully, the defective judgments are not appealed because the OSG is no longer mandated to defend the marital bond. Critics say that we are back to the "most liberal divorce procedure in the world." Or simply, to the Pinoy edition of absolute divorce.

What a bunch of hysteria this article is. Everyone knows that Pinoy annullments are very difficult to come by. Rather than simply proving mental incapacity, you generally have to provide nearly 100,000 reasons why the judge and other court officials should grant your petition for annulment. Since the vast majority of Filipinos can not come up with 100,000 reasons, annulments are not that common. In some cases, its been reported that if you know the right people, you only need to provide in the neighborhood of 40,000 reasons to grant the annulment. Now, for us foreigners married to Pinays, (but not foreign women married to Pinoys) if the foreigner files for divorce in his home country, both the man and woman are free to remarry once the divorce decree is registered in the Philippines. But, if the wife files for the divorce, the man is free to remarry but the woman is not. God Bless the double standard I say.

So how do you go about registering a divorce in the Philippines?

Well, that's the trick isn't it? The bit about if the foreigner filing for divorce nullifies the marriage in the Philippines is part of the law, but I'm not sure if its in the part of the law that is followed. From what I've read, you need to take it to the courts to have them certify it as official.....but I really don't know if that's accurate or not. Check with a family law lawyer here in the Philippines.Or, if you want to marry a Filipina again, just get divorced in the US and then file for a fiance visa, and just forget getting married a second time in the Philippines.

Yes that is what we finally decided to do. Because this is a question no one seems to be able to answer. Even an attorney we spoke with. He said I need an annulment.

I would have thought if you got divorced from a Filipina in another country, Then you just get a certificate of no impediment to show you are no longer married, Then you are free to marry again in the Philippines ?.

I was formerly married to a Filipino in the Philippines and divorced from same in the US . I later married my current wife in the Philippines and had no issues simply presenting a copy of my US divorce papers . It is my understanding that the first Filipino wifes standing would not be recognized by the Philippine system but obviously does not effect the expat/foreigner . As for annulement here in the Philippines an American friend is now going through this with his Filipino finance . Her first attempt took upwars of a year and cost 'lots' The follow up attempt with a new attorney seems to be making much better progress . In the end it does depend on how connected the attorney is . Just Fillipino way of doing business .

[cebuexpat]

Muslims is 4 wives.. but my question is why would anyone want more than one woman in their life.. isnt life complicated enough??