When a woman marries a man, the last thing on her mind is divorce or annulment. What she is thinking of are babies, romantic vacations, and years of wedded bliss. Separating from her husband? That isn't something she thinks about on her wedding day or honeymoon--and probably for a long time after that. What person in love, after all, would even entertain the idea of her marriage falling apart?

While none of us ever wants to go through a separation, divorce, or annulment, things don't always turn out the way we intend them to. People fall out of love, problems become unmanageable, husbands (and wives) cheat—the list goes on. And though we hope most people would see divorce and annulment as a last resort and not a first option, it's also wise to be informed of the process here in the Philippines, especially since divorce is not legal in our country, thus making the process even more complicated.

Below are 10 important things every woman should know about divorce and annulment.

(Originally published as "On Miriam Quiambao’s Divorce, Church Annulment, and Civil Annulment: What Every Woman Needs to Know" on Female Network. Many thanks to Atty. Judd L. Anastacio. Special thanks to Atty. Patti Bautista for her input and updates on the information in this article. Atty. Bautista is in solo practice and may be contacted at (0917) 587-0597 or (02) 212-7002. Photo source: sxc.hu)