Annulment Payment

[PattiDay]

My Diocese pays the fee so that there is no “value” attached to the anullment.

 

[chain]

My wife’s annulment may have been an exception - or may have been normal for our diocese. Our priest is a canon lawyer and a former tribunal member. He specifically told us all of his services and help was being donated. I assume this would be what he would normally do for any parish member, but fwiw we are fairly active members.

I can imagine if a person was to hire a canon lawyer to assist (and have no clue what that “assistance” could be, but assume there could be some useful advise given concerning where to file and what grounds to file on), that lay lawyer could charge whatever the market could bear.

Anyway, I forget, but when we filed about 3 years ago I think the cost was either 225 or 250 to help cover administrative fees at the diocese level. I think our friends spent more on the convalidation party they gave us than that. The fee could have probably been avoided had we asked under financial grounds - but honestly, we need to tithe more anyway. The fee was mentioned pretty up front - so I don’t think more would have been charged had there been unforced difficulties arise. The other party did not contest.

 

[manualman]

That is very interesting to hear, since the catholic I am speaking to about this got an annulment, as well as his daughter. In both cases he said the fee was over 5k (him) and then around $15k for his daughter. This was a fee without a cannon lawyer.

I have done internet research on the subject to see that fees are listed as being much lower, so I almost need to go back to him have him explain why his cost so much.

I do remember him saying that there were some very high profile annulments where the fees were in the tens of thousands.

Fees in the 1-2k range seem justified over something that does cost money to handle. I dont have an issue with that. I brought this issue here to see what the “norm” was. That answer seems to be in the lower amounts by what everyone is saying.

I’d take any single source comments with a 50# bag of salt. There are a LOT of folks out there carrying big, heavy axes to grind against the catholic church. Trust, but verify. A prophet is one who tells unpopular truths and the church is called to be prophetic. Read the OT and find out what the people generally did with prophets…

 

[nechtangel]

I think your friend has possibly misunderstood. I am currently going through an annulment, and yes the Church asked me for a cheque for £150.00 to cover the costs of obtaining the annulment (there is a lot of paperwork involved, personal interviews, legal documents etc) However it was made perfectly clear to me that if I was not able to afford this ‘contribution’ they would still proceed on my behalf.

 

[EvelynEVF]

My diocese does not charge, but if you appeal the second instance to the Rota, it’s a couple thousand dollars.

 

[Corki]

That is very interesting to hear, since the catholic I am speaking to about this got an annulment, as well as his daughter. In both cases he said the fee was over 5k (him) and then around $15k for his daughter. This was a fee without a cannon lawyer.

I have done internet research on the subject to see that fees are listed as being much lower, so I almost need to go back to him have him explain why his cost so much.

I do remember him saying that there were some very high profile annulments where the fees were in the tens of thousands.

Fees in the 1-2k range seem justified over something that does cost money to handle. I dont have an issue with that. I brought this issue here to see what the “norm” was. That answer seems to be in the lower amounts by what everyone is saying.

I would definately ask for some corroboration for the 15K figure. Even five thousand sounds very high unless there is an appeal. Frankly, I have lived in several diocese and the only time I ever heard of an annulment process going over $1000 was one case where one spouse was so concerned about witnesses that she hired a private investigator to track them down. But that was her own choice and not a fee or payment for the process.

There is no difference in a “high profile” annulment, either. It’s the same process and the same tribunal.

 

[EvelynEVF]

That makes sense, about the private investigator, but it would never have occurred to me to lump it in with the cost of the petition.

There are cases where experts are called. I have no idea how much a psychiatric evaluation costs, but that’s a possibility. Also, if my xh had permitted access to his previous psychiatric records, the psychiatrist would no doubt have charged his customary $230/hr to fill out whatever paperwork the tribunal asked for.

I’ve heard people throw around huge figures like $25k as reasons to skip the annulment and just remarry outside the Church, but I’ve never inquired any further.

 

[Corki]

Just as an addendum: I asked the person in our parish who handles the annullment process. She said the fees in our diocese range from $50 for a “simple” lack of form petition to $500 as the max for a full investigation.

 

[puzzleannie]

I am talking with a Catholic right now about the faith. The issue of divorce came up, and then annulment. I asked what the church needs to perform an annulment (curious), and among a few other things, the comment was made that a payment would need to be made. I then asked how much where we talking, and the answer given that it depends on the “value” of the marriage - but that it could easily run in the tens of thousands.

I was a bit taken back by that, and wanted to see what sort of answers you guys could provide to make sense of that.

Thanks for the help.

John-Paul

In most dioceses the annulment process costs less than $1000 and is payable on a sliding fee scale or waived for true need. This is payment for an entire diocesan department of salaried professionals doing their job. Does your friend expect other professionals to work for free? Does the country provide free divorces? Who came up with “tens of thousands?”

quote=johnpauls;7608531]Well, these small fees dont seem problematic. The issue I have is when I hear about fees in the tens of thousands. Since I have posted this, I have spoken to a few catholics who have gotten divorced, and they spent between 5k and 20k. Some only pay 500-1000. It seems to be all over the map in

I am sorry this is hogwash. provide proof-not anecdotal stories–of such charges. Are you talking about the cost of a civil divorce? what has that to do with annulment? absolutely nothing. Show me proof of where a diocesan canon law tribunal charged this much for an annulment investigation.

and what does this mean

pricingTo be, it seems like an odd practice anyways to get around divorce. Then to add church “fees”, in the higher amounts, sends it over the top.

an annulment does not “get around a divorce” it does not even begin until after the civil divorce has made the marriage irretrievably broken. Church fess are not “added to the cost of divorce.” The couple chose hate and indifference over love, they chose divorce, so how is the church to blame for the costs incurred by use of the civil courts for divorce? You add on a fee for the professional services of the canon law tribunal, less than $1000, or even $500 many places, and compare that to the cost of a civil divorce? why? how? what is the logic in that?

What is the issue of moral theology which you question? If you want to learn about church law on marriage and annulment do as search in the relevant forum, liturgy and sacraments, for more than you ever wanted to know about the topic.

 

[andrestack]

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[Suslar]

I am talking with a Catholic right now about the faith. The issue of divorce came up, and then annulment. I asked what the church needs to perform an annulment (curious), and among a few other things, the comment was made that a payment would need to be made. I then asked how much where we talking, and the answer given that it depends on the “value” of the marriage - but that it could easily run in the tens of thousands.

I was a bit taken back by that, and wanted to see what sort of answers you guys could provide to make sense of that.

Thanks for the help.

John-Paul

Hi John-Paul,

The Roman Catholic Church does not “perform an annulment.” The correct phrase is a Declaration of Nullity. It is NOT the same as divorce, nor is it “Catholic divorce.”
A Declaration of Nullity is granted once a Diocesan Tribunal completes an investigation into the legitimacy of the Sacrament of Matrimony and determines the Sacrament did not transpire due to one or more impediments. These impediments are serious reasons as for why one or both parties could not enter into the Sacramental covenant of marriage. In order for the Tribunal to do its investigative work, one of the parties must submit a formal petition and contact information. If the case is accept to be reviewed, additional testimony is required from the petitioner as well as several witnesses. The respondent (the other half of the couple) may choose to submit testimony too. It is that testimony and statements of fact that allow the Tribunal to do its work and thus, it is information that the Church needs to be able to potentially grant a Declaration of Nullity. They are not all granted.

As other posters have written, yes, the diocese does ask for some financial support to pay salaries and other expenses, but the total amount each party pays is small and can range from nothing to as much as $1000 based on actual costs and the PETITIONER’S ABILITY TO PAY.

 

[Vincent1984]

I do remember him saying that there were some very high profile annulments where the fees were in the tens of thousands.

There are some high-profile cases – Joseph Kennedy and Sheila Rauch springs to mind – where costs could spiral if both parties insist on hiring expensive private canon lawyers and multiple expert witnesses as they would in a civil lawsuit.

If cases go to the Roman Rota, which is rare, costs in the thousands are probable, as everything must be translated into Latin and the turnus may ask for extra evidence &c. However, the local diocese is expected to subsidise petitioners who cannot pay these amounts themselves.