Like a divorce (marriage dissolution), an annulment is a court process that ends a marriage.

But, an annulment treats the marriage as though it never happened. "Legal Separation" is a major change in the status of your marriage. To get a legal separation you must serve and file a petition in District Court in the county where you or your spouse lives. It is a different process from the divorce process. In Minnesota, you do not have to be separated before you get divorced. The process to get a legal separation takes as long as a divorce, and may cost as much or more than a divorce. The courts do not publish forms for legal separation. Your county law library might have more information on legal separation. In many ways, a legal separation is the same as a divorce. Both include custody, parenting time, child support, and, if appropriate, spousal maintenance (alimony) orders. The parties can also ask the judge to issue an order that divides the parties' assets and debts. The major difference is that if you have a legal separation, you are still married. If you decide you want to end your marriage after a legal separation is complete, you will then need to go through the court process to get divorced.

The traditional Filipino family has been one based primarily on respect, particularly for elders. Elders, such as parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, when spoken to are always addressed as "po" or "ho," which loosely translates to "sir" or "ma'am." Respect for elders is not necessarily limited to parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Respect extends to even older siblings. For example, in Tagalog families, instead of using first names, younger siblings always refer to their oldest brother as "kuya" and their oldest sister as "ate." The second oldest brother and sister are referred to as "diko" and "ditse," respectively. The third oldest brother and sister are referred to as "sangko" and "sanse," respectively. These honorific titles are not limited to siblings. These titles would also apply to cousins, in-laws and even close family friends. Most Filipinos are Roman Catholics, and so the Catholic faith is central to the Filipino family. They are also almost always willing to help family members, particularly, financially, often times to their own detriment or expense. For example, an older sibling may forego college or a lucrative career in order to help a younger sibling or parent run a struggling business or to help care for young children The typical Filipino family is one that is closely knit. Oftentimes even if the children are already married, their families are allowed to stay in the home. They are expected though to share in the family expenses. The parents are looked up to with respect and they exercise authority over the children. Respect is a must. Taking the hands of the elders to one's forehead which is called "mano po" is one gesture of respect. The celebration of festivities and events such as Christmas, birthdays etc is marked by the coming together of all members of the family usually at the home of the parents. This serves as a reunion for the family. Sundays are also observed as Family day in the parent's home. Being closely knit every member of the family is expected to help one another economically. Oftentimes the older children who are gainfully employed are expected to help the younger siblings in their studies. The Filipino family more often than not is most likely a big family. In the Philippines, the family not only consists of the parents and children but includes grandparents, nephew, nieces, aunts, uncles and so forth. This we call the extended family. You will always see the close ties among relatives most especially in the rural areas. This is an advantage for in times of trouble you can always expect a helping hand. A Filipino family is usually matriarchal in nature. It is the mother who is always the beloved among all. She holds the purse strings and more often the decision maker. She also leads the family in their devotion to religion. The father is one we look up to with respect for he is the bread winner and the disciplinarian.