Your case is filed with the Family Court of Caloocan
Petitions for declaration of nullity and for annulment are filed with the Family Court of Caloocan, provided you or your spouse has resided in Caloocan for at least six months before filing. Venue turns on residence, not on where you were married.
What matters locally
Caloocan is one of the most populous cities in the country, and many petitioners here have recently moved within Metro Manila. If you relocated to Caloocan, remember the six-month residency runs before your filing date, so keep proof of your Caloocan address ready — barangay certification, bills, and IDs.
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. Cost is driven by the psychological evaluation, publication, and docket fees. See the full picture on our annulment hub, and estimate the total with the annulment cost calculator.
Elsewhere in Metro Manila
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Frequently asked
Where do I file for annulment if I live in Caloocan?
With the Family Court of Caloocan, provided you or your spouse has resided in Caloocan for at least six months before filing. Venue depends on residence, not on where the marriage was celebrated, so a couple married elsewhere who now live in Caloocan file here.
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 on the respondent, the court's docket, the prosecutor's investigation for collusion, and whether the decision is appealed by the State.
Is the case over once the court grants the petition?
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. Until that annotation appears, you are still considered married.