Formal Cases: Application

The Tribunal will review the material and assign a Case Name and Number for reference purposes. Based on the information provided, a more specific questionnaire is developed and sent to the Petitioner.

The Petitioner should complete the questionnaire in detail and set up a follow-up meeting with the Case Sponsor. During the meeting with the Case Sponsor, the Case Sponsor will review the new documents to help make sure that all items are answered in a clear manner. Next, the Case Sponsor will work with the Petitioner to establish the grounds on which the case will be heard. These grounds relate to specific Church Laws and will be developed and placed into a formal petition, specifying the names of parties, date of wedding, and addresses of parties. Witnesses are required - "no witnesses, no case" - and the witness list is reviewed. The process expected for the case is reviewed and the Fees are established. The completed questionnaire, signed by both parties, is to be mailed to the Tribunal.
When the documentation is received at the Tribunal, the questionnaires will be reviewed in detail to ensure the grounds can be supported by the documentation.

A case is normally started when you answer a brief questionnaire, gather required documents, and meet with a Case Sponsor in your parish to review these materials. If documents, addresses of spouses, or other information is missing, it will delay the acceptance of the case.
This introductory paperwork is reviewed to determine if it is complete and if the Atlanta Tribunal has jurisdiction or competence to hear the case. An introductory letter or phone call to you explains the results, and informs you if anything is missing.
If the marriage did not take place within the Archdiocese of Atlanta and if the Respondent does not live here, we may need to contact the Respondent before the case is accepted. You are informed of this before it happens.
When the Tribunal receives the case, a case number is assigned. Please refer to this case number in all communications with the Tribunal.
Once the case has been accepted, the Respondent is contacted and given a copy of your petition, and invited to participate in the process. The process itself is invalid if we do not contact the Respondent.
Then the judges finalize the grounds in the case and notify both parties. After giving both spouses time to request a change in the grounds, the case moves on.

Continue Reading

Formal Cases: Investigation