Getting Prepared For The Philippines > Laws, Regulations, Taxes as Applied to Foreigners
Foreigner Divorce from a Philippine marriage to marry again
suzukig1:
Oops. The article I tried to link to no longer exists. Here's another one. Again it applies to PHL citizens but I don't see a way around going to court if a LGU is going to require a foreigner to get a CENOMAR and the foreigner needs to have his PSA marriage record changed.
http://jlp-law.com/blog/judicial-recognition-of-a-foreign-divorce-decree/
If there’s already a divorce validly secured abroad (by the foreigner-spouse or the Filipino spouse who became a foreign citizen, losing his/her Filipino citizenship in the process), can the Filipino spouse immediately remarry?
No. The existence of a valid divorce decree, however, does not automatically entitle the Filipino to remarry in the Philippines. The foreign divorce decree must be judicially recognized in the Philippines. This means that the proper action or petition must be filed in a Philippine court. For purposes of re-marriage, the divorce validly secured abroad is not automatically recognized here in the Philippines.
Isn’t it enough that I already forwarded the divorce decree to the Philippine Embassy (or the Department of Foreign Affairs) and the National Statistics Office (NSO)?
No. The foreign divorce decree must be recognized here in the Philippines; a process which may only be done through the courts.
Why should we waste money in filing a petition in court for the recognition of the divorce decree?
This is the requirement of law, unfortunately. The divorce decree must be proven, just like any fact, in court. The presentation of the divorce decree is insufficient. Proof of its authenticity and due execution must be presented. This necessarily entails proving the applicable laws of the jurisdiction where the foreigner-spouse (who could be a former Filipino) is a national. One of the requirements under Article 26 is that the decree of divorce must be valid according to the national law of the foreigner.
Lee2:
Okay so unless I am missing something apparently everyone has been wrong who said a foreigner can marry again after a divorce in another country, if the first marriage was registered with the NSO?
suzukig1:
--- Quote from: Lee2 on March 28, 2018, 11:17:01 AM ---Okay so unless I am missing something apparently everyone has been wrong who said a foreigner can marry again after a divorce in another country, if the first marriage was registered with the NSO?
--- End quote ---
Technically, yes. If a marriage is registered in the PHL, the person is still married under PHL law until they get their divorce authenticated by a PHL court.
However, if a municipality does not ask for a CENOMAR from the foreigner, the foreigner could still get a marriage license issued even though their PSA record says they are married. The municipality would not know the foreigner has a PSA marriage record unless they ask. Most municipalities do not ask the foreigner for a CENOMAR.
Side notes:
I got married in the PHL in 2009. When I went to the U.S. Embassy to get my "Affidavit in Lieu of a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage" the first thing the Embassy person asked was if I had been married before in the PHL. Another person there for the same reason, a former PHL citizen, answered yes. They would not give him an "Affidavit" and sent him away telling him to bring back a document from the NSO showing that the NSO recognizes his U.S. divorce. My impression at the time was that you could just go to the NSO with your divorce papers and get that straightened out. But I have no idea what was really required at that time.
I had my U.S. divorce papers (yes, papers plural) and the Embassy person looked at them and basically said "ok". The lawyer at the municipality where we got our marriage license looked at my divorce papers and said "ok". I did not have to have them approved by a PHL Embassy in the U.S. (like you might have to today, I don't know). I was married in the U.S. both times.
Now I have been to the U.S. Embassy a few times since to have papers notarized and I have overheard the conversations when people go for their "Affidavits". (No more private rooms for this like in the old Embassy building.) They don't ask any details anymore. They just ask the person to swear under oath that they have the legal capacity to marry.
suzukig1:
1 more thing:
If your marriage was registered in the PHL until you get your divorce authenticated by a PHL court, your ex wife still owns half of your assets in the PHL.
suzukig1:
--- Quote from: suzukig1 on March 28, 2018, 12:32:51 PM ---1 more thing:
If your marriage was registered in the PHL until you get your divorce authenticated by a PHL court, your ex wife still owns half of your assets in the PHL.
--- End quote ---
Executive summary:
1) Former PHL citizens became naturalized U.S. citizens.
2) California divorce, wife gets U.S. assets, husband gets PHL assets.
3) Wife sues for PHL assets in PHL court. U.S. divorce not authenticated in a PHL court so the divorce is ruled not valid in the PHL and the two are still legally married in the PHL. Still married so she owns half of the PHL assets.
4) Wife gets U.S. assets + half the PHL assets. Husband gets only half the PHL assets.
http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2015/03/25/1437235/unauthenticated
On appeal to the Court of Appeals (CA) the later modified the decision of the RTC by directing the equal division of the Philippine properties ...
... Dan questioned the CA decision. He contended that it should have recognized the California Judgment which awarded the Philippine properties to him as it awarded the US properties to Dina ... Is Dan correct?
No. For the foreign divorce decree relating to the status of marriage to be recognized here, the presentation of a copy thereof duly authenticated by the foreign court issuing the said decree must be presented. In this case, only the divorce decree was presented in evidence. The required certificates to prove its authenticity as well as the California Law on divorce were not presented. These are either the official publication thereof or a copy attested by the officer having legal custody thereof. This certificate may be issued by any of the authorized Philippine embassy or consular officials stationed in the foreign country in which the record is kept and authenticated by the seal of his office.
So absent a valid recognition of the divorce decree, it follows that the parties are still legally married in the Philippines. Thus the judicial separation of the absolute community of property in the Philippines as prayed by Dina should be granted with Dan getting only one half and Dina another half ...
Here's a link to what I think is the actual court case judgement: https://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2014/aug2014/gr_188289_2014.html
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