Annulment experience or advice

Hello ther, I was wondering if any of you could offer some advice on how to proceed with the annulment process.
Also, any recommendations on efficient lawyers would be appreciated ( She is based in Puerto Galera, so Calipan or Batangas area may be better option?)
Thanks guys

First off you need to find yourself a trustworthy solicitor in the Philippines, preferably one who has a reputation for getting on with the job and not overcharging for his services. Secondly you need to make sure there will be no interference from the ex, if he doesn't want to play ball he could ask for money from you etc. Remember that when you are in the Philippines visiting your lady you are committing an offence by sleeping with someone else's wife and could be jailed.

The annulment itself can take a couple of years and cost £2-3k.

i hope youve got deep pockets--and lots of patience.
generally speaking--its best if you stay right out of the picture. if her lawyer knows she has a british boyfriend--then the fees will go up---and so will the grease all the way up the food chain.
does her husband know about you ?

We were together for a year while I was in the Philipinnes. I am back home now, setting up my new business (nothing much happening in my oilfield career at the moment).
Her husband does know about me - we have spoken and he is pretty civil about the whole thing to be honest. He has a new partner also.
I will advise her not to mention that she has a British boyfriend
I was expecting around £2-3 K and 18-24 months??
Now I need lawyer recommendations

Good luck I'm going through the process at present and it really isn't a very nice experience. It's totally out of your control how the annulment is obtained and sadly a lot of dark arts are involved. I won't recommend the one I'm using as she is in Davao. She was recommended by quite a few on the internet when I did a search. Keep us informed of your progress.

I think your experience reflects the annulment process as there isn't one

I never once got involved with my wife's annulment process because I would have found it too frustrating and stressful, its nothing like a UK divorce where you can have some bearing on cost and the length of time it takes, your future is in the hands of Philippine lawyers and judges who cannot always be trusted in giving you a fair deal.

I hope it all comes good for you John, sooner the better.

Thanks Timmers. Hoping to hear something positive soon, The Lawyer tells us that she is waiting approval from Manila. So fingers crossed.

my ( now ) wife's annulment cost me £2000----and was supposed to take 6 to 9 months. 3 times my wife and her lawyer turned up at court--only to find the judge wasnt there..holiday--busy in a different court--illness--whatever. just slowed the process up to 15 months.

if you want a much faster annulment--just apply more grease to the machine.

make no mistake--its a money making racket. most filipinas have no hope of affording it. and i dont think it will ever change--too many pigs at the trough.

i have heard that lawyers who are regularly unsuccessful tend not to live to a ripe old age.

it amazes me how many annulment cases we get on this site.

my wife can recommend a lawyer in manila--if its any help.

That would be a great help BigMac

Also, any other recommendations of lawyers would be very much appreciated

Whereabouts in the Philippines are we talking about, my wife used a lawyer in Manila, if that is close enough to your location I will try to find out the name of the firm.

sorry i should have pm you before. unfortunately the lawyer my wife had in mind charges 350k pp to get the job done.

£5.5k so expensive

Based Puerto Galera but manila would possibly work

Maybe they are trying to get as much out of it as poss before the gravy train drys up.

There could be changes ahead on the divorce front in the Phils, if the Pope and Vatican have their way.

I've seen it talked about in the media for a few years now but nothing has happened, the ridiculous fee charged for annulments means a divorce is not possible for your average Filipino.

Excuse my ignorance on this subject, but what exactly is the difference between annulment and divorce?

The difference is money and hassle

In the UK it is relatively straight forward to get divorced and any high street solicitor can offer this service for you. An annulment means that the marriage is dissolved and it never officially took place.

In the Philippines there is no divorce and the only way to be able to marry again after a failed marriage is to go through the annulment process which is time consuming, frustrating and expensive. The ease at which a annulment can be carried out depends on such factors as getting yourself a trustworthy and honest lawyer who will not see it as a way to extort easy money from you, the ex being okay with the process and not wanting to make money and the Philippine judiciary playing ball and turning up for hearings etc.

My wife's annulment was pretty straight forward but others have struggled, we were lucky in the respect that we were not waiting for the annulment to apply for the UK settlement visa .

All in all the annulment process is something that people can do without, hopefully in years to come the Philippines will accept divorce and it will be a relatively cheap and hassle free experience that is on offer to all.

there is no such thing as divorce in the philipines--unless the filipina was married to a foreigner--and he divorces her. this is recognised--and is called a foreign divorce.

so--to get round this stone age nonsense...they allow an annulment instead. which is equally nonsense.

an annulment technically is the end of a marriage which was never consummated. but many annullled married couples have kids ! but the law allows annulments on various grounds--such as mental incapacity.

mental incapacity is easy to prove--just needs a medical expert to confirm

£££££££ kerching--another pig at the trough.

add this to the lawyers charges--and the judges "assisstance fee"---and your soon up to the £2000 + mark

all this takes time--say 12 months to 2 years. but the law can be sped up somewhat if you grease the wheels.

it surprises me how many members on this site have been involved with annulment. me included.

best to agree a package deal upfront with the lawyer--for an all inclusive set fee.