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Legal Separation
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In recent years there has been an increase in the number of couples desiring to terminate their marriage for one reason or another. One of these is the physical abuse they experience from their partner or sometimes, bizarre traits, which they discovered in their partner such as excessive alcoholism or even tendencies to fall with someone of the same sex.
In this article, I will discuss with you the concept known as Legal Separation, a term which some of you may have already encountered but the meaning of which is still unclear in your minds.
What is legal separation?
Legal separation is a decree from the court permitting the husband and the wife to live separately from each other.
How is it different from declaration of nullity and annulment of marriage?
There are several differences among these legal concepts but the main difference is that unlike in declaration of nullity and annulment of marriage, the marriage is not severed in cases of legal separation. Thus, the husband and the wife are still married despite the decree of legal separation.
What are the grounds for legal separation?
A petition for legal separation may be filed on any of the following grounds:
- Repeated physical violence or grossly abusive conduct against the petitioner, common child, or a child of the petitioner. Thus if for example the husband keeps on hitting the wife with a “dos por dos”, then the wife can file a legal separation. Take note that the physical violence must be repeated or that the abusive conduct must be gross, otherwise there is no ground for legal separation.
- Physical violence or moral pressure to compel the petitioner to change religious or political affiliations. For example if the wife threatens the husband that if the latter does not support the Liberal Party, the wife will leave the husband. In this case, the husband can file a case for legal separation against the wife due to the moral pressure.
- Attempt of respondent to corrupt or induce the petitioner, a common child, or a child of the petitioner to engage in prostitution, or connivance in such corruption or inducement. For example, if the wife has an 18-year-old daughter from his former marriage, and the present husband compelled this daughter to pose for FHM, there will be no case of legal separation because mere posing in FHM is not prostitution. But if the stepfather required this daughter to work as a prostitute in Quezon Avenue, then there will be a basis for legal separation.
- Final judgment sentencing the respondent to imprisonment of more than six years, even if pardoned. For example, if the husband was convicted of plunder, a case that has a penalty of life imprisonment, the wife can file a case for legal separation. This will prosper even if the President pardons the husband.
- Drug addiction or habitual alcoholism of the respondent. Thus if the husband went to a bar, tasted a beer for the first time and after realizing how good it was, he downed one case before going home the next day after, there will be no case of legal separation because the alcoholism of the husband is not habitual. It would be different in case the husband made it a habit to do this drinking spree every night.
- Lesbianism or homosexuality of the respondent. For example, if the husband keeps going to a gay bar and engages in homosexual acts with the hunky dancers, then the wife has a case for legal separation.
- Contracting by the respondent of a subsequent bigamous marriage, whether here or abroad. So, if the husband went to Korea to look for a fair skinned lady and later on married the latter despite the existence of his marriage with his Filipina wife, the latter can file a case for legal separation.
- Sexual infidelity or perversion. For example if the wife had sex with a man not his husband, the husband can file a case for legal separation against the wife.
- Attempt by the respondent against the life of the petitioner. Thus if the wife tried to kill the mother of the husband, there will be no case of legal separation because the attempt was not against he petitioner. But if the husband tried to kill the husband, then there will be a case for legal separation.
10. Abandonment of petitioner by respondent without justifiable case for more than one year. So, when the husband was stranded in an island due to a plane crash and was rescued after a year, there will be no case of legal separation because there was a justifiable cause. But if the husband just went around the world for no valid reason and did not return after a year, the wife can file a case for legal separation against the husband.
Is there a period within which I am allowed to file the case for legal separation?
Yes. The affected party has five (5) years from the date of the commission of the offense within which to file the case for legal separation.
Will the trial proceed immediately after the filing of the case for legal separation?
No. An action for legal separation shall in no case be tried before six months shall have passed since the filling of the petition. This six months “cooling off” period is designed to give the husband and the wife time to think about their status with the hope that they reconcile in the end.
When will I be allowed to live separately from my husband/wife?
After the filing of the petition for legal separation, the spouses shall be entitled to live separately from each other.
What are the effects of legal separation?
The decree of legal separation shall have the following effects:
- The spouses shall be entitled to live separately from each other; but the marriage bond shall not be severed. This means that even if the husband and the wife are entitled to live separately from each other, neither one of them is allowed to marry another person, because if he/she does so, he/she will commit bigamy.
- The absolute community or the conjugal partnership shall be dissolved and liquidated but the offending spouse shall have no right to any share of the net profits earned by the absolute community or the conjugal partnership. Take note that the right removed is limited only to the net profits and not to the whole property regime.
- The custody of the minor children shall be awarded to the innocent spouse, subject to the provision of Article 213, which provides that parental authority shall be exercised by the parent designated by the court and that maternal preference shall be exercised in case the child is less than seven (7) years of age.
- The offending spouse shall be disqualified from inheriting from the innocent spouse by intestate succession. Thus the husband who constantly harms his wife will not receive inheritance from his wife who died without a will. But in case the wife made a will and bequeathed a property to her husband, the law also provides that provisions in favor of the offending spouse in the will of the innocent spouse shall be revoked by operation of law.
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26 Comments
Good day Sir,
tanong ko lang po yung case ko. nagtatrabaho po ako rito sa saudi ng mahigit 7 years na po, mula October 2003 up to present, nakapag-asawa po ako sa pinas ng taong 2000 at nag-decide po ako na makipag-hiwalay sa kanya ng 2004, 6 months after kong makarating sa saudi dahil sa mga di naming makapagsunduang mga bagay. mga september 2004 nagkamabutihan kami ng kasamahan ko sa trabaho at nag-decide ako na pakasalan siya rito sa saudi tapos naming magbalik islam or mag-muslim, gusto ko po sanang umuwi sa pilipinas ngayon para ayusin ang legal separation naming mag-asawa kaya lang natatakot po ako na ipa-hold po niya ako sa immigration, pero sabi naman po niya ay willing siyang magpirmahan kami sa papel na hindi na siya maghahabol basta ibigay ko ang halagang hinihingi nya na sustento monthly although nagpapadala po ako sa mga anak ko sa kanya monthly, puwede ko po bang i-present ito sa immigration kung sakaling ireklamo nya ako. kailangan ko rin po sana ng abogado na magre-represent sa akin baka pwede po kayo.
thank you po at hihintayin ko po ang inyong reply asap.
Please see my (PM) private message. Thank you.
good day, magtatanong lang po ako kung may laban ang isang lalaki kung nireklamo siya sa munisipyo dahil sa nambabae, pero bago siya nireklamo nagkaroon sila ng kasunduan ng kanyang asawa na maghiwalay. salamat po
Edmilyn, please post your question at the forum section of this site.
Atty, tanong ko lang po kung nasan yung office nyo at kung magkano po yung professional fee nyo regarding sa Legal Separation.
Edward, please see my private message. Thank you.
tanung ko lang po, valid po ba marriage ko, single po akong nagpakasal sa asawa ko ngayon, pero kasal po cya sa una, bago kami magpakasal matagal n clang hiwalay, kasal po cya sa una sa civil, ako po sa civil din kinasal sa kanya.
ngayon po gusto ko n cya hiwalayan, dahil po nambabae cya, kailangan ko po bang mag file ng legal separation para sa kanya, or void na yung kasal namin, may anak po kami
please advise po
tanung ko lang po, valid po ba marriage ko, single po akong nagpakasal sa asawa ko ngayon, pero kasal po cya sa una, bago kami magpakasal matagal n clang hiwalay, kasal po cya sa una sa civil, ako po sa civil din kinasal sa kanya.
at paano po yung mga conjugal property namin tulad ng bahay, naka amortization po yun, ako po ang nagbabayad, may karapatan po ba cya dun
ngayon po gusto ko n cya hiwalayan, dahil po nambabae cya, kailangan ko po bang mag file ng legal separation para sa kanya, or void na yung kasal namin, may anak po kami
please advise po
marivic, please read the RED note below. thank you.
Just like to ask just in case po na we have some real properties under our names and my husband is willing to waive his shares doon sa mga properties during the liquidation, meron po ba kaming babayaran sa BIR na mga taxes?
How much po ba magagastos just in case we want to file legal separation? How about annulment, mas magastos po ba iyon? Gusto ko na po kasing makipaghiwalay sa asawa ko since 20 years na po niya ako niloloko at hangga ngayon ay patuloy pa rin ito at hindi naman niya tinatanggi.
Myla, please post your questions at the forum section of this website, which can be found by following this link http://www.jamesbiron.com/forum
Look for Civil Law, then Persons and Family Relations, then click Post New Thread and finally, post your question. Copy and paste the question you wrote above so that you don’t have to retype it again. I will answer your questions once you have posted them in the forums. Thanks.
atty. ask ko lang po kung how much ang magagastos sa nullity of marriage: grounds is 17 years old po ako and 16 years old sya nung kinasal kami at 11 years na kming hiwalay.
alexia, please post your question at the forum section of this site. to proceed to the forum, please follow this link:
http://www.jamesbiron.com/forum/showthread.php?9-Legal-Separation-of-Marriage
Good day po…. tanung ko lang po 2 years na po kaming kasal ng asawa ko at may anak po kami…. Pinagbubuntis nya palang ang anak ko hindi na kami nagkakaintindihan pero pinagpasencyahan ko cya hanggang sa manganak. Lumala ang kaniyang pag-uugali after manganak sobrang selosa kahit sa pamilya o sa katrabaho ko at laging pera ang issue to the extend na hindi na ako makapagtrabaho ng maayos. Ngayun pinagbakasyon ko cya sa pamilya niya at nagpapadala rin ako ng pagkain sa bata monthly giit nya na magpadala ako twice monthly pero hindi ko kaya dahil hindi naman kalakihan ang salary ko po. Ngunit dahil sa hindi ako nagbibigay ng pera sa kaniya dahil alam kong magagastos nya lang ito sa kung saan ay nagbanta na ito na ipapakulong ako at kung anu-anong sinasabi at nakakasakit na emotionally…. anu bang gagawin ko? ayaw ko na ring cyang makasama ngunit ayaw nyang pahiram sa akin ang bata. Tama bang hindi ipahiram sa ama ang anak? I-save ko ba lahat ang mga txt nya na puro pagbabanta? at hintayin ko ba cya na magsampa ng kaso bago ako? kaya niya raw akong ipatanggal sa work ko pwede ba yun? pwede bang makialam ang korte at ang management na pinagtratrabahuhan ko po?
Please po need advice at MARAMING SALAMAT in advance….
charcoal32, please post your question at the forum section of this site. to proceed to the forum, please follow this link:
http://www.jamesbiron.com/forum/showthread.php?9-Legal-Separation-of-Marriage
you may copy and paste your question to the forum so that you don’t have to retype it again.
hi kumusta po atty.
itatanong ko lang po. kung pwede q po ba ipatanggal sa trabaho ang asawa ko? gayong di naman sya sustento sa sa anak namin? kasal po kami 2005. at nag sama kami sa loob ng 4 na taon. naka decide po makipagsapalaran d2 sa kuwait hanggang ngayon. payag naman po sya ng umalis ako noon. mahigit isang taon po ako dito sa kuwait, may commonication po naman kami poro d gaano kadalas at minsan di po kami mag kasundo kahit txt lang. lagi po niya akong sinasabihan na mag asawa nalang po ako dito ng arabo. sabi ko sarili ko. kung ganyan nlang lagi ang txt nya mas mas mabuti ng hindi nalang ako mag rereply. security po siya sa ngayon dahil yong nakapadala ako ng pira pinaaply ko po sya, ginastohan piro ng nakatrabaho na kinalimutan na niya ang anak namin. noong april 3 2011 po nalaman ko nalang na may kinasama po siya, at naka usap ko pa yong babae ang sabi e matagal na daw kami hiwalay, i d pa nga ako nakatapos ng contrata ko. at ang last namin nag usap ng asawa ko noong feb, nakachat po pa. ginawa nila akong tanga d2 sa kuwait. sa ngayon po nagugulohan po ako. sapat ba na dahilan ang d ako nag rereply sa txt nya. at ganito na ang ganti nya. kaya gusto ko po sya ipatanggal. atty kung sakali man matanggal sya pwede pa rin po ba sya maka apply uli,bilang security
/ salamat po nag hihintay ng payo
ags.
hi ags, please post your question at the forum section of this website. I will answer your question once I see it there.
how much will it cost us to file for legal separation and what are the process? do we have a case if for at least 1 year abandonment? no communication from the wife, she’s only communicating to her relatives pero minsan lang…no assurance kung nsa canada na nga un wife coz un yung pinapalabas nya
please post your question at the forum section of this website. I will answer your question once I see it there.
Thanks for this very essential information atty. Biron.
Thank you very much for your comment Ms Jhen!
atty. i’d like to file for legal separation kasi my husband is physically and verbally abusing me and my kids and i also found out that he has a mistress can i also file for concubinage case? gusto ko po sana sole custody ng mga anak ko salamat po magkano po kaya ang magagastos sa totoo lang limited po ang financial resources ko since hindi po ako binibigyan ng support ng asawa ko salamat po..
jelyn, please post your question at the forum section, go to jamesbiron.com/forum, i will answer your question once i see it posted there.
hello i want to file a legal separation from my husband.both parties are not happy anymore.we always fight its other a very deep fight.his hurting my feelings a lot,insult me everytime we fight.So i decided to file a legal separation.What is the requirements to attain legal sepation?
Dear Atty,
Tatanong ko lang po yun case ng boyfriend, 8 years na po sila hiwalay ng asawa nya at napag alaman sa NSO cenomar na kasal sa una asawa nya means twice kinasal pangalawa sya, gusto po namin magpakasal, ano po ba dapat gawin namin para mapawalang bisa kasal nya.. Look forward to your kind reply. Thanks, Cely
Cely, please post your question at the forum section of this site.