... in response to Someone want to warn me off of seperated..., posted by jon on Mar 7, 2005Ray from archives:
Jon,
I have found that a lot of the ladies over there will say that they are legally separated or divorced, but most of the time they have no legal papers. It’s just kind of an expression that is thrown around loosely.
A legal separation may give them some rights under Philippine law, regarding child custody or support for example, but it does not give them the right to remarry.
If they do have a legal annulment, then you should be able to verify that with a copy of the certified court decree and her annotated marriage certificate ordered directly from the NSO (National Statistics Office). You can also order a CENOMAR or Certificate of No Marriage directly from NSO to verify for yourself that she has not been married in the past.
If a Filipino marries a foreigner and the foreign spouse files for divorce in his country, then the Philippine government will recognize the divorce and she can legally remarry.
For anyone contemplating marriage over there or filing a visa petition for a lady who was previously married, I would strongly advise you to obtain certified copies of all legal documents before you do anything. It could save you a lot of time and future heartache.
Ray