Quote Originally Posted by alanperry View Post
i met my partner around 3 years ago now and have been to see her many times, we had a baby girl around 14 months ago now, i am british and i registered my daughter at the british embassy in manila so i could obtain her a british passport, one of the documents they required was the right to marry, so my partner went to the nso office to apply for document required, upon receiving her document she found out that she was already married to a filipino, which was around 10 or 11 years ago now, they had a baby boy and he met another woman and walked out on her and his son around 7 years ago now and has nothing to do with her or his son both financially or emotionally nothing at all not even a letter or phone call for 7 years, will she be able to file for annulment on these grounds? and if so do you have a contact email or phone number of a good lawyer in davao city
Hi Alan,
If your partner hasn't seen her ex for 7 years there is another option which, if it is applicable to her situation, is much quicker and very much cheaper than annulment. It is called a petition for presumptive death for purposes of remarriage.

As far as I know, she doesn't have to know, or need to have any reason to believe her ex is dead, as long as she han't seen him for more than 4 years, or 2 years if the last time she seen him was in dangerous circumstances (whatever that means).

I think it might be worth it for your partner to consult an attorney over there to see if it could be an alternative which might suit her situation.

Note: After this process is complete, if her ex re-appears and he successfully appeals this decision, although she may have since re-married, she is still legally married to her first husband under the law of the Philippines and her subsequent marriage is null and void. Having said that, if you are intending to apply for a visa and bring her to the UK, then anything that happens after that with regard to Philippine law doesn't make any difference to the legality of your marriage in the UK.

Iain.