Divorce Procedures
Can somebody explain divorce procedures in the Philippines? Is it really “against the law there?”?
I’ve heard time and time again that people don’t get divorced in the Philippines. Then what? Who restricts it?
There is no divorce per se, if you put it in the context of western countries’ understanding of this word. In the Philippines, the proper word that applies is “Legal Separation”. It is more or less similar to divorce. Legal Separation is the annulment or nullification of a “Marriage Contract”. Once the marriage contract is nullified, the couple can live separately, and can marry again. While divorce is very strict and specific in the legal aspects (like child support, visitation rights, division of property), Legal Separation is less rigid in such aspects. This depend largely on what the couple had agreed upon on these aspects before separating.