A practical cost guide to what you may actually pay, why amounts vary, and where “surprise expenses” come from

1) Why cost estimates are hard in Philippine family cases

In the Philippines, cases to end a marriage through the courts are not “one-form-fits-all.” Two people filing what sounds like the same case can end up spending very different amounts because of:

Type of case (Annulment of voidable marriage vs Declaration of Nullity of void marriage)
Ground relied upon (e.g., psychological incapacity vs lack of marriage license)
Whether the other spouse cooperates or contests
Respondent’s location (local, abroad, unknown)
Court congestion (more hearings = more appearances/expenses)
Property/custody/support disputes (adds litigation work and documents)
Need for experts (especially in psychological incapacity cases)

This article explains the cost categories and provides realistic peso ranges commonly seen in practice, with the understanding that actual quotes depend on your facts, venue, and lawyer.

2) The two case types and how they affect cost

A. Declaration of Nullity (void marriage; treated as void from the start)

Typical grounds (Family Code examples) include:

No marriage license (subject to exceptions)
One party already married (bigamous marriage)
Lack of authority of solemnizing officer in certain situations
Psychological incapacity (Art. 36)
Incestuous marriages / void by public policy
Subsequent marriage where prior spouse absent but legal requirements not met, etc.

Cost tendency: can be lower if the ground is documentary and straightforward (e.g., no license), but often highest when it is psychological incapacity because experts and detailed testimony are common.

B. Annulment (voidable marriage; valid until annulled)

Typical grounds include:

Lack of parental consent (18–21 at marriage)
Fraud
Force/intimidation/undue influence
Impotence
Serious sexually transmissible disease

Cost tendency: can range from moderate to high depending on proof, witnesses, and whether contested.

3) The biggest cost driver: attorney’s fees (and how they are usually structured)

Common fee arrangements

Acceptance/retainer fee (package)
- Many practitioners quote a package covering drafting, filing, and handling hearings through decision (sometimes excluding major disbursements like publication and experts).
Acceptance + per-hearing appearance fees
- Lower upfront, but total cost rises if the case drags on.
Staged billing
- Pay by milestones (filing, pre-trial, petitioner testimony, expert testimony, submission for decision, etc.).
Add-ons
- Property liquidation, custody disputes, motions, contempt, and special incidents often cost extra.

Typical attorney-fee ranges (very broad, but realistic)

These are common market ranges seen in practice, especially in urban areas, but they can be lower/higher:

Simpler nullity (document-heavy ground; minimal expert work): roughly ₱120,000 to ₱300,000
Psychological incapacity (Art. 36) cases: often ₱200,000 to ₱600,000+
Contested/high-conflict cases with multiple incidents: ₱500,000 to ₱1,200,000+

Why it jumps: more settings, more motions, more witness days, more document work, and more coordination with experts.

4) Court and filing-related costs (docket, sheriff, summons, transcripts)

Even with a “package” legal fee, court-related expenses usually remain separate “out-of-pocket” items.

A. Filing fees / docket fees and legal research fees

Typically several thousand pesos to tens of thousands depending on venue and what is included/assessed.
If there are property claims or additional reliefs that affect fees, costs can increase.

B. Sheriff/process server and service of summons

When the respondent is in the same city and address is known, costs are modest.
If the respondent is difficult to locate, repeatedly unavailable, or abroad, expenses rise (additional attempts, coordination, and motions).

C. Stenographic notes / transcripts (TSN)

Family cases can require transcripts for appeals or for completeness. Some courts require ordering TSNs for specific purposes.

Budget ₱5,000 to ₱30,000+ depending on length and frequency.

D. Photocopying, printing, binding, and records

Annulment/nullity cases are paper-heavy: petition, annexes, judicial affidavits, exhibits, and multiple copies.

Budget ₱2,000 to ₱15,000+ over the life of the case.

5) Publication costs (a major “surprise” expense)

Publication is commonly required when:

Respondent’s whereabouts are unknown, or
Summons must be served by publication (after court approval).

Typical publication costs depend on the newspaper and length/format required.

Estimated range: about ₱10,000 to ₱50,000+
Can be higher in some jurisdictions or publications.

Publication-related steps can also add motion practice and waiting time.

6) Psychological evaluation and expert witness fees (often the second-largest cost)

When it’s common

Especially for psychological incapacity petitions.

What you are paying for

Clinical interviews and testing (often primarily for the petitioner; sometimes attempts on respondent)
Written psychological report formatted for court use
Court testimony (expert appearance)
Coordination with counsel and revisions

Typical ranges

Psychological evaluation/report: ₱60,000 to ₱250,000+
Expert testimony appearance fees: sometimes included; often an additional ₱10,000 to ₱50,000+ per appearance/day depending on the arrangement and travel.

If multiple expert appearances are needed, this line item grows fast.

7) Documentary requirements: PSA records, civil registry, notarial costs

These are smaller individually but add up.

Common documents (varies by ground and relief sought):

PSA Marriage Certificate (and possibly Marriage Advisory)
PSA Birth Certificates of children
CENOMAR/Advisory (in some strategies)
Barangay certificates/affidavits (where relevant)
Medical records (for certain grounds)
Proof of residency, IDs, employment documents (for support issues)

Budget range: ₱1,000 to ₱10,000+ for routine certifications and notarial costs, more if extensive records are needed.

8) Costs tied to children, property, and other “incidental” disputes

These issues can be included in or arise alongside the main petition. They often don’t change the type of case, but they change the workload.

A. Child custody, visitation, support

If custody/support is contested, expect:

more hearings
more affidavits
possible social worker reports or assessments
interim motions (e.g., support pendente lite)

Cost impact: often adds ₱30,000 to ₱200,000+ depending on complexity and length.

B. Property relations and liquidation

If the case involves:

liquidation of absolute community/conjugal partnership
disputes on ownership, exclusions, reimbursements
discovery of assets

Cost impact: can add ₱50,000 to ₱300,000+, and in asset-heavy cases much more, especially if separate proceedings or extensive documentation are required.

9) Travel and logistics (especially when parties are abroad or far from the court)

Common cost multipliers:

petitioner works/lives in a different province
respondent is abroad
witnesses or experts must travel
hearings are frequently reset

Budget range: highly variable—₱5,000 to ₱100,000+ depending on travel frequency and distance.

10) Realistic “total budget” scenarios (all-in estimates)

These are composite estimates combining common categories. Actual totals can fall outside these ranges.

Scenario 1: Straightforward Declaration of Nullity (documentary ground), respondent served locally, minimal disputes

Lawyer: ₱120,000–₱300,000
Court/filing/sheriff/transcripts/copies: ₱15,000–₱60,000
Documents/notarial: ₱2,000–₱10,000 Estimated total: ₱140,000 to ₱370,000

Scenario 2: Psychological Incapacity (Art. 36), respondent served locally, not heavily contested

Lawyer: ₱200,000–₱600,000
Psych evaluation + testimony: ₱80,000–₱300,000
Court/filing/sheriff/transcripts/copies: ₱20,000–₱80,000
Documents/notarial: ₱3,000–₱15,000 Estimated total: ₱300,000 to ₱995,000

Scenario 3: Respondent unknown/abroad + publication + contested incidents (custody/support/property)

Lawyer: ₱350,000–₱1,200,000+
Publication: ₱10,000–₱50,000+
Psych (if applicable): ₱80,000–₱300,000+
Court/transcripts/motions/incidents: ₱40,000–₱150,000+
Dispute add-ons (support/property/custody): ₱50,000–₱500,000+ Estimated total: ₱530,000 to ₱2,200,000+

11) Why cases become more expensive over time

Annulment/nullity cases are sensitive to delay because many cost models are hearing-driven. Common delay sources include:

respondent avoiding service
repeated resetting of hearings due to docket congestion
incomplete documentary evidence requiring additional affidavits
additional incidents (support, custody, property, protection orders)
expert scheduling constraints

More settings typically mean higher appearance fees, more transcripts, more transport and printing.

12) Managing cost risk (what usually prevents overruns)

Clear written agreement on what the legal fee covers (filing only? through decision? excludes incidents?)
Upfront identification of whether publication is likely
Early decision on whether an expert is needed (and what the package includes)
Planning for incidental issues (support, custody, property) rather than treating them as afterthoughts
Keeping documentary requirements complete early to reduce resets

13) Bottom line

The most common all-in spending range for annulment/nullity in the Philippines falls roughly between ₱150,000 and ₱1,000,000, with simpler documentary cases clustering toward the lower end, and psychological incapacity and contested cases clustering toward the higher end. The largest drivers are typically attorney’s fees, expert costs (if applicable), publication (if needed), and the number of hearings.