Your case is filed with the Family Court of Imus
Petitions for declaration of nullity and for annulment are filed with the Family Court of Imus in the province of Cavite, provided you or your spouse has resided in Imus for at least six months before filing. Venue turns on residence, not on where you were married.
What matters locally
Imus is the capital of Cavite. Residents file with the Cavite court in Imus, not a Metro Manila court, and the usual residency proof — barangay certification, bills, and IDs showing an Imus address — establishes venue.
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 Imus?
With the Family Court of Imus, in the province of Cavite, provided you or your spouse has resided in Imus for at least six months before filing. Cavite residents do not file in Metro Manila courts.
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.