How to Present a Case
If you believe that you may have grounds for nullity or dissolution of your marriage under the laws of the Roman Catholic Church, your first point of contact should be your local parish or a parish which you find convenient. We encourage you to make an appointment with a parish priest or deacon, or a lay parish minister trained and delegated to assist with the preparation of marriage cases.
Tell your story to the priest, deacon, or minister, focusing on your religious and family background and the events and circumstances that led to your decision to marry, and the wedding itself. The priest, deacon or minister will listen and try to help clarify the key issues. He or she may also advise you which diocesan court(s) could assume jurisdiction in your case. He or she may also offer pastoral guidance and assistance in dealing with the aftermath of the marriage relationship.
If it appears that there exists the basis for a case, you will receive a preliminary questionnaire to complete. You should prepare a draft of your answers to the questionnaire and review it with the priest, deacon or parish minister in a subsequent meeting. This is a most important step in the preparation of your case. A well-prepared preliminary deposition can facilitate the processing of the case and save much time in the later stages. Take time and reflect, endeavoring to answer the questions as objectively and completely as possible, avoiding both simple “yes” or “no” answers, and lengthy, unnecessary or irrelevant detail. Your answers should preferably be typed, or handwritten clearly.
While working on your preliminary questionnaire, you will also wish to gather the necessary religious and civil documents (e.g., baptismal and marriage certificate(s), final divorce decree, etc.).
Upon completion of your questionnaire, the priest, deacon or parish minister will assist you in completing the petition form and other preliminary documentation. After providing him/her with payment of the necessary filing fee for the Tribunal, he/she will mail your case, together with recommendations or comments.
Since it may be some weeks before you receive an acknowledgment from the Tribunal of our receipt of your petition, you may wish to contact the priest, deacon or parish minister to verify that your petition has actually been mailed.
The Tribunal will send a letter acknowledging receipt of your case. It will be assigned a case name and number, and you will be informed of the steps to follow in the canonical process.
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- How to Present a Case
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