Your case is filed in Pampanga, not Metro Manila
Petitions for declaration of nullity and for annulment are filed with the Family Court with jurisdiction over Angeles City, Pampanga, provided you or your spouse has resided in Angeles City for at least six months before filing. Angeles City is a highly urbanized city in Pampanga beside the Clark Freeport, a tourism, aviation, and business-process hub. Because it is in Pampanga, the case is heard by the provincial court, not a Metro Manila court — and venue turns on residence, not where you married. Angeles is a highly urbanized city with its own courts, so family cases are heard here; venue turns on your six-month residence, not on where you married.
What actually happens, in order
- Case build-up — facts, documents, and, for an Article 36 case, the psychological evaluation;
- Filing with the court and payment of docket fees;
- Service of summons on the respondent, by publication where they are abroad;
- Prosecutor's investigation for collusion, required in every case;
- Trial, then decision, finality, and annotation with the civil registrar and the PSA.
Timeline and cost, honestly
An uncontested petition commonly runs one to three years to a registered annotation. See the full picture on our annulment hub, and estimate the total with the annulment cost calculator.
Frequently asked
I live in Angeles City. Do I file for annulment in Metro Manila?
No. Angeles City is in Pampanga, so your petition is filed with the Family Court that has jurisdiction over Angeles City in the province, provided you or your spouse has resided there for at least six months before filing.
How long does an annulment take?
For an uncontested petition, commonly one to three years from filing to a registered PSA annotation. The largest variables are service of summons, the court's docket, and whether the decision is appealed by the State.
Is the case over once the court grants it?
Not for your records. The decision must become final and then be registered and annotated with the local civil registrar and the PSA before your civil status changes.