Working in Makati is not the same as residing in Makati
This is the single most common venue error we correct for CBD clients. A petition for nullity or annulment is filed with the Family Court of the city where the petitioner or the respondent has RESIDED for at least six (6) months before filing. It is residence, not employment, and not the place of the wedding. Someone who works in Makati but goes home to Cavite files in Cavite; someone who genuinely resides in a Makati condominium files in Makati.
Residence must be alleged and proved, and in a city where many people hold a provincial address on their ID while actually living here, that proof needs assembling early: the lease or CCT, utility bills in your name, barangay certification, and employment records showing the local address.
Makati cases skew toward a spouse abroad
A large share of Makati petitions involve a respondent who is overseas — an OFW spouse, a migrated partner, or a foreign national. That changes the mechanics rather than the outcome. Summons must still be served in the manner the rules allow, which for a non-resident respondent typically means extraterritorial service or service by publication with leave of court. This is the largest single driver of delay and cost, and it is the part most often glossed over in a flat-fee quote.
Where a foreign divorce has already been obtained abroad, the route may not be annulment at all but judicial recognition of the foreign divorce — a different, usually shorter proceeding. Establishing which one applies is the first thing to settle, because filing the wrong one wastes a year.
Cost
The variables are the psychological evaluation where Article 36 is invoked, publication, docket fees, and the length of trial. Consultations are paid and the fee structure is set out at the first meeting. Our annulment cost calculator itemises the components first.
Frequently asked
I work in Makati but live elsewhere. Where do I file?
Where you reside, not where you work. The petition is filed in the Family Court of the city where the petitioner or respondent has resided for at least six months before filing.
My spouse is abroad. Can I still file?
Yes. Summons must be served in the manner the rules allow for a non-resident respondent, typically extraterritorial service or service by publication with leave of court. This is the main driver of delay and added cost.
My spouse already divorced me abroad. Do I still need an annulment?
Possibly not. Where a valid foreign divorce exists, the proper remedy may be judicial recognition of the foreign divorce, which is a different and usually shorter proceeding.
How do I prove I reside in Makati?
With documentary evidence such as the lease or condominium title, utility bills in your name, barangay certification of residency, and employment records showing your Makati address.