The bottom line first
An uncontested annulment or declaration of nullity in the Philippines typically costs ₱350,000 to ₱600,000 in total. A contested case, or one involving the liquidation of conjugal property or a custody dispute, commonly climbs to ₱900,000 or more, and the most complex or protracted cases exceed ₱1,000,000. There is no fixed statutory price: annulment is court litigation, and cost follows the legal work and evidence each case requires.
Those ranges come from the same components in every case. Here is each one, with realistic 2026 figures.
Where the money goes, item by item
- Attorney's acceptance fee — ₱250,000 to ₱350,000. The one-time fee to engage counsel, paid at the outset, and consistently the largest single item. Billing schemes vary between practitioners, and some firms offer payment plans.
- Pleading fees — ₱5,000 to ₱15,000 per pleading. Charged for each pleading prepared and filed. The count grows with the life of the case, and grows fastest when the case is contested.
- Appearance fees — around ₱7,000 per hearing. Charged for each court appearance. An uncontested Article 36 case might involve a handful of hearings; a contested one can involve many more.
- Psychological evaluation — ₱50,000 to ₱70,000. For cases invoking psychological incapacity under Article 36 of the Family Code. No longer strictly required after Tan-Andal v. Andal (2021), but still the practical norm; the figure covers the clinical interviews, the written report, and the expert's court testimony.
- Court filing and docket fees — roughly ₱4,400 to ₱4,800. The docket fee alone is a standard ₱2,832 for petitions not involving custody, property, or support. These are official fees receipted in the name of the Supreme Court.
- Publication and miscellaneous. Where the respondent cannot be located or lives abroad, service by publication adds a newspaper-publication charge. Notarial fees, document processing, and service of summons round out the total.
What makes a case more expensive
Three variables do most of the damage. A contested case means more hearings and more pleadings, and each one adds fees. Property and custody issues require additional evidence and sometimes specialist expertise, and raise the docket fees. Location matters too: Metro Manila courts carry higher legal rates and more congested dockets than most provincial courts. Where these combine, the total can pass ₱1,000,000 — which is why cost and timeline are inseparable: the longer a case runs, the more appearances and pleadings accumulate.
A warning about cheap "guaranteed" annulments
Advertisements promising annulment at a steep discount, without court appearances, or with a "guaranteed" outcome deserve serious caution. The Supreme Court has repeatedly sanctioned lawyers and declared annulments void where fixers or falsified decrees were involved. A fake decree does not just waste your money — it leaves you still legally married, with bigamy exposure if you remarry. If a lawyer cannot explain clearly what each charge covers, treat that as the red flag it is.
Estimate your own case
Our free annulment cost calculator turns these figures into an itemised range for your situation — ground, contested or not, property, custody, and publication — with the remedy likely to apply. It is an estimate for planning, not a fee quote. Consultations are paid, and our fee structure is discussed openly at the first meeting.
Frequently asked
How much does an annulment cost in the Philippines in 2026?
For a straightforward, uncontested case, the total cost typically ranges from ₱350,000 to ₱600,000. A contested case, or one involving conjugal property or custody, commonly climbs to ₱900,000 or more, and the most complex cases exceed ₱1,000,000.
What is the biggest single expense in an annulment?
Attorney's fees. The one-time acceptance fee to engage counsel commonly runs ₱250,000 to ₱350,000, and on top of that most lawyers charge ₱5,000 to ₱15,000 per pleading and around ₱7,000 per court appearance. Because pleadings and hearings accumulate over a case that runs for years, a longer or contested case costs materially more.
Is the psychological evaluation required, and how much does it cost?
After Tan-Andal v. Andal (2021) an expert evaluation is no longer a strict legal requirement for psychological incapacity under Article 36, but it remains the practical norm, and most petitioners still secure one. It typically costs ₱50,000 to ₱70,000, covering the clinical interviews, the written report, and the expert's testimony in court.
Are there cheap or "guaranteed" annulments?
Be very careful. The Supreme Court has sanctioned lawyers and declared annulments void where fixers or fraudulent shortcuts were involved. A legitimate annulment requires real judicial scrutiny; steeply discounted or "no-appearance guaranteed" offers are a recognized red flag, and a fake decree leaves you still legally married.