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Steve_P
Guest
Congratulations to the both of you!!!
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Convert1
Guest
Thank you, Peebo. I so appreciate that. I’m sure everything will work out beautifully. Keep us posted as to what transpires from here. I will be praying for the two of you too!
Blessings!
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dans0622
Guest
Hello,
There is a mandatory wait of about 15 days for a possible appeal (in this case, the Respondent and Defender of the Bond are the ones who might appeal). If there is no appeal within this time, then the Sentence is “executed” and the process is finished.
The letter from the tribunal should have mentioned this…
Dan
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kristis524
Guest
I have received nothing but a $450 bill from the tribunal since they accepted my case about 3 months ago. The witnesses I listed have heard nothing and my former spouse has not been contacted. Is this normal?
The only way I can find out any information from my Tribunal is to send a certified letter then wait for them to respond by mail. My advocate doesn’t know anything more than I do.
Is this normal and I am just expecting too much to think something should have happened by now?
The only way I can find out any information from my Tribunal is to send a certified letter then wait for them to respond by mail. My advocate doesn’t know anything more than I do.
Is this normal and I am just expecting too much to think something should have happened by now?
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Convert1
Guest
God Bless you for making the decision to go through this process. Depending on your grounds, the “living” timeline will vary. If indeed yours is a formal annulment, which I assume it is since you have witnesses, you probably already know that it could take up to eighteen months total. Some folks even more.
My case was accepted within two weeks of submission. My witnesses were sent questionnaires within six weeks of acceptance. My ex-spouse was contacted within two weeks of acceptance via certified mail. Unfortunately, every Tribunal seems to operate differently and not all follow the same timeline. Since you are in Houston is that your Diocese, as well? If so, often times priests will have a good idea of how long things take.
Perhaps if you ask some folks locally, they may know. Your advocate should be more helpful. Can you meet with him/her? Just a thought. Praying for you!
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Convert1
Guest
Thanks, Dan. Once the 15 days pass, are you saying no other letter or communication is sent and the sentence is just automatically executed? Or is some other communication sent out?
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kristis524
Guest
My case took 6 weeks from submission to be accepted. I asked my priest and all he knew was it takes about a year and a half for the process to be complete. I realize Houston is a large Archdiocese, but I guess I just expected something to be done by now, even as simple as my former spouse being notified.
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Convert1
Guest
I agree, it would seem that they would have freed up some resources based on the recent guidelines for doing away with the second instance. I also know the holidays are almost non-existent in getting anything done, as so many at the Tribunal are out of the office.
At least that is how it is at the Diocese I am using. Perhaps when they settle back in next week could you could send another letter? I will keep you in my prayers. Hang in there!
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dans0622
Guest
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Peebo
Guest
Thank you for your reply…the letter did not mention that the sentence is executed after the time mentioned… which says she has four weeks from the date on the letter if she wishes to read the sentence…if not then no action is required on her part
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Convert1
Guest
Awesome! This looks really promising that the Easter Vigil is doable for you! I will definitely keep you both in my prayers! Gob Bless.
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dans0622
Guest
Well, that’s a bit less than optimal. There should be something in there about the possibility and timeline for appeal.
Dan
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Peebo
Guest
Yes…that was the 4 weeks from the date the letter was sent…for her to read the sentence…and also for her to appeal the verdict… if not then she need do nothing until the 4 weeks are up on Jan 25…what’s puzzling is does her annulment become automatic after that date…is she notified in writing…as I noted previously her annulment has been in the affirmative…thank you
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dans0622
Guest
The Sentence is “effective” (i.e., people can lawfully act based on the decision contained therein) after the 15 days have passed without an appeal. The 15 days are “working days” so that’s generally understood to mean 15 weekdays–so, it equals three weeks on the calendar–and these days start at the time the Sentence is made known to the Parties. So, if I was the Respondent and first learned of the Sentence on January 4, I’d have until January 25 to appeal.
The Tribunal should send another letter once those days have passed, informing her of the fact that there has been no appeal and so the decision is effective (“final”).
Dan
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Peebo
Guest
Thanks again…I called the diocese a while ago and yes after the 25 Jan. if there is no appeal a final letter will be sent…one thing I forgot to ask…her ex did not respond to any request for his response to the annulment at the beginning of the process…so will he be sent another letter asking if he wishes to appeal…he doesn’t care one way or the other to be honest as he remarried 15 years ago…and is not Catholic…and has told his daughters as much
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Convert1
Guest
I apologize, Dan, that’s really the answer I was looking for when I asked. It’s obvious I didn’t pose my question very well. My bad. Thanks for the clarification!
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dans0622
Guest
Yes, even a non-interested (“absent”) person is given the opportunity to appeal the decision.
Dan
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Huiou_Theou
Guest
Hi Dan,
I had a bit of an odd development on my petition.
I tried asking a canon lawyer here, locally, about the process. He basically doesn’t know why the tribunal is proceeding the way it did; either.
I wrote the tribunal back, and asked again (certified letter, with notarized signature); that the petition be explicitly accepted or rejected for cause; and that I didn’t know why the tribunal wasn’t following the procedure outlined by the Vatican. I gave the name of the person who called me, supposedly from the tribunal, and who asked me to write the tribunal a letter stating I would “withdraw my petition.”. I then indicated that I was told by another canon lawyer that withdrawing a petition has nothing to do with “combining” the information in the petitions, and that I found the request inappropriate given that I had received no official documentation that they intended to process either my case or my wife’s case.
There were a few other things I wrote, to let them know I was totally fine with obtaining new certified documents that exist in my petition which my wife’s petition might lack. I also said that they were free to use any information in my petition and submit it to hers, or to black out any information that they thought was “inadmissible”. eg: black out parts of one question that the tribunal secretary who called me a few months ago seemed to object to.
I know church tribunals aren’t the same as secular government; but I mean, even secular offices regularly black out sensitive information which they don’t want a person to have – such as the name of a doctor who turned a parent in for child abuse. A judge can still subpoena the information later if necessary. So, I don’t have a problem with information being visibly blacked out. That’s pretty normal.
Is it not normal for a tribunal to do that? If so, why?
Anyhow, the upshot is that I got a letter back from the head of the tribunal (a priest) less than a week after I sent my letter. That was totally un-expected. He told me that the tribunal didn’t want me to withdraw my petition, and that that the other party had already been sent a questionnaire asking how she would like the information to be combined. It was sent on the 14th of December; He then said I would receive a questionnaire with options once she had replied.
So, they are obviously processing it as a combined petition. That’s fine with me.
Now the only question is whether or not my ex-wife will cooperate.
I’m sure her mindset will change from when she thought she was filing against me, vs. now to be working “with” me. Even our divorce took an unbelievable three years to complete because of the number of times she scuttled the proceedings and made us “reschedule” for frivolous reasons that were obviously fabricated.
eg: She she filed for divorce and then when she realized that would actually give me far more parenting time with the kids that she would allow – she tried her absolute damnedest to prevent the divorce from completing. “No divorce” meant I could take the kids whenever I wanted. “Divorce” meant the state would give them to me even more often than I had been asking. So legal limbo was the only power she had to keep our kids away from me.
I just about framed the divorce document when I finally got it. Nothing was a more beautiful picture of poetic justice !!!
Oh well… patience is a virtue, I guess. I just have the feeling “here we go again!”
If there is any immature reason to drag the annulment case out, she’ll probably do it!
I had a bit of an odd development on my petition.
I tried asking a canon lawyer here, locally, about the process. He basically doesn’t know why the tribunal is proceeding the way it did; either.
I wrote the tribunal back, and asked again (certified letter, with notarized signature); that the petition be explicitly accepted or rejected for cause; and that I didn’t know why the tribunal wasn’t following the procedure outlined by the Vatican. I gave the name of the person who called me, supposedly from the tribunal, and who asked me to write the tribunal a letter stating I would “withdraw my petition.”. I then indicated that I was told by another canon lawyer that withdrawing a petition has nothing to do with “combining” the information in the petitions, and that I found the request inappropriate given that I had received no official documentation that they intended to process either my case or my wife’s case.
There were a few other things I wrote, to let them know I was totally fine with obtaining new certified documents that exist in my petition which my wife’s petition might lack. I also said that they were free to use any information in my petition and submit it to hers, or to black out any information that they thought was “inadmissible”. eg: black out parts of one question that the tribunal secretary who called me a few months ago seemed to object to.
I know church tribunals aren’t the same as secular government; but I mean, even secular offices regularly black out sensitive information which they don’t want a person to have – such as the name of a doctor who turned a parent in for child abuse. A judge can still subpoena the information later if necessary. So, I don’t have a problem with information being visibly blacked out. That’s pretty normal.
Is it not normal for a tribunal to do that? If so, why?
Anyhow, the upshot is that I got a letter back from the head of the tribunal (a priest) less than a week after I sent my letter. That was totally un-expected. He told me that the tribunal didn’t want me to withdraw my petition, and that that the other party had already been sent a questionnaire asking how she would like the information to be combined. It was sent on the 14th of December; He then said I would receive a questionnaire with options once she had replied.
So, they are obviously processing it as a combined petition. That’s fine with me.
Now the only question is whether or not my ex-wife will cooperate.
I’m sure her mindset will change from when she thought she was filing against me, vs. now to be working “with” me. Even our divorce took an unbelievable three years to complete because of the number of times she scuttled the proceedings and made us “reschedule” for frivolous reasons that were obviously fabricated.
eg: She she filed for divorce and then when she realized that would actually give me far more parenting time with the kids that she would allow – she tried her absolute damnedest to prevent the divorce from completing. “No divorce” meant I could take the kids whenever I wanted. “Divorce” meant the state would give them to me even more often than I had been asking. So legal limbo was the only power she had to keep our kids away from me.
I just about framed the divorce document when I finally got it. Nothing was a more beautiful picture of poetic justice !!!
Oh well… patience is a virtue, I guess. I just have the feeling “here we go again!”
If there is any immature reason to drag the annulment case out, she’ll probably do it!
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AnchoredInHope
Guest
What a blessing that these forums has a thread like this!
I’m just starting the process for a marriage that I was in years ago before I was a Christian of any kind and when I was a very immature person who linked up with someone who had no intention of having a family or permanence. I am so anxious about everything just because I desire so strongly to become a full member of the Church and receive Communion. I’m prayerful that this goes well and that can be so.
I hope everyone else here going through the same thing knows they have my support.
I’m just starting the process for a marriage that I was in years ago before I was a Christian of any kind and when I was a very immature person who linked up with someone who had no intention of having a family or permanence. I am so anxious about everything just because I desire so strongly to become a full member of the Church and receive Communion. I’m prayerful that this goes well and that can be so.
I hope everyone else here going through the same thing knows they have my support.
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weaverbird
Guest
I started the annulment in Jan 2015 and just learned on Dec 28th, that my tribunal (San Antonio) is awaiting the Defender of the Bond’s breif, before theyll be making their decision. Im so anxious and excited to get this behind me; Its been a long time coming :dancing:! My only question is, with the discontinuation of the 2nd court appeal, being a month ago and still no decision on the 1st court level, im wondering if ill still have to have my hopefully affirmative decision, appealed by the second court? Im not sure if its only cases that were submited after the Dec 8th changes, that will be able to take advantage of the new, shorter process, sans 2nd court.
Being that the 2nd court ratification is only neccessary for affirmative decisions and every marriage is considered valid until proven otherwise, im not sure why, at this pont-one month post change, that our case would get “grandfathered” into the old process.
Has anyone had experience with the San Antonio Tribunal? They’ve been most helpful in the process!
Being that the 2nd court ratification is only neccessary for affirmative decisions and every marriage is considered valid until proven otherwise, im not sure why, at this pont-one month post change, that our case would get “grandfathered” into the old process.
Has anyone had experience with the San Antonio Tribunal? They’ve been most helpful in the process!
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