The range, stated plainly
For Filipino-foreign couples, drafting a marriage settlement commonly runs in the mid-five to low-six figures in pesos, depending on how complicated the asset picture is and how much cross-border coordination the engagement needs. A couple with salaries, savings and one condominium sits at the lower end. A couple with a business, a pension scheme abroad, property in two countries and children from an earlier relationship sits at the upper end, because there is simply more to draft and more to register. That is a market observation, not a tariff, and it is quoted properly only after the first meeting.
What actually moves the figure
- Number and location of assets. Every jurisdiction an asset sits in adds a layer of care to the drafting, and every covered Philippine property adds a registration.
- Complexity of the holdings. Shares, closely-held companies, pensions and receivables take more drafting than a bank account.
- Carve-outs. Each exception the two of you want has to be written precisely. This is the work you are actually paying for — see how the engagement runs.
- Cross-border coordination. Time-zone scheduling, correspondence with counsel in the other country, and authentication of the signed instrument for use abroad.
- Third-party and official costs. Notarial fees, registration with the local civil registry and the registries of property, authentication through the Department of Foreign Affairs where the couple will live abroad, and courier. Individually modest; together a real line in the budget.
- Time pressure. Work compressed into the fortnight before a wedding costs more and is worth less. Starting early is the cheapest decision available to you.
Compare it honestly — to the fight it prevents
The right comparison is not "prenup versus nothing." It is "prenup now versus a property dispute later." Without a settlement, the Family Code's default regime governs, and the burden of proof shifts against you. In Nayve-Pua v. Union Bank of the Philippines (G.R. No. 253450, January 22, 2024) the Supreme Court restated it: the statutory regime applies "absent any proof showing that the spouses entered into a marriage settlement," and "when the property is acquired during the marriage, the burden of proof is upon the spouse claiming the property's exclusivity to establish it." Proving that in court, years later, with receipts and memory, is expensive.
The scale of family litigation in this country is set out on our annulment cost page: an uncontested case commonly totals ₱350,000 to ₱600,000 and runs for years. A contested property fight is not cheaper. And a couple who missed the wedding deadline cannot simply sign a private agreement afterwards — the remaining route is judicial. Maquilan v. Maquilan (G.R. No. 155409, June 8, 2007) allowed a post-marriage separation of property, but on terms:
However, the Court must stress that this voluntary separation of property is subject to the rights of all creditors of the conjugal partnership of gains and other persons with pecuniary interest pursuant to Article 136 of the Family Code.
A court proceeding, plus creditors holding rights that a timely settlement would never have given them. Measured against that, a prenup is the least expensive document in the file. Why the deadline is absolute is explained on our deadline page.
How we handle fees
We do not quote a fixed price sight unseen, and we would be cautious about anyone who does. Consultations are paid — ₱3,500, consistent with our published legal fees — and the fee structure is discussed openly at the first meeting: what the professional fee covers, what is official and receipted, and what depends on how many registries the settlement has to reach. Come to that meeting with a rough list of what each of you owns and owes. The completeness of that list, more than anything else, determines the real total.
What the fee does not buy
It does not buy a guaranteed outcome, and no honest lawyer will sell you one. What it buys is a properly drafted, properly executed and properly registered instrument, prepared while both of you can still talk about it calmly — and the removal of a question that would otherwise be answered by whoever has the better lawyer a decade from now. Clients abroad usually settle fees by international transfer or card; amounts are quoted and paid in pesos, and we promise no particular exchange rate. How we work across countries is described on our international clients page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a prenup cost in the Philippines?
There is no fixed price, and no statute sets one. For mixed-marriage couples, drafting a marriage settlement commonly runs in the mid-five to low-six figures in pesos, depending on how complex the asset picture is and how much cross-border coordination the work requires, plus modest notarial and registration costs.
Why do cross-border prenups cost more than simple ones?
Because there is more to do. Assets in more than one country, business interests or pensions, children or obligations from a previous relationship, carve-outs that have to be drafted precisely, registration in several registries of property, and coordination with counsel in the other country all add work, and the fee follows the work.
Is a prenup cheaper than fighting about property later?
By a wide margin. Family litigation in the Philippines is measured in years and in figures our annulment cost page puts at ₱350,000 to ₱600,000 for an uncontested case. A prenup is a one-time drafting engagement completed before the wedding, and it settles in advance the questions that litigation charges you to argue.
Is the first consultation paid?
Yes. Consultations are paid — ₱3,500, consistent with our published legal fees — and the fee structure is discussed openly at the first meeting, so you know what each component covers and what is official and receipted before you commit to anything.