MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday said annulment and nullity of marriage cases must now be filed and served electronically.

In a news release, the SC said it has expanded Rule 13-A of the Rules of Civil Procedure, which mandates electronic filing and service of pleadings, motions, and other papers in civil cases in first- and second-level courts.

“Section 1 of Rule 13-A has been amended to include annulment and nullity cases, but other special proceedings remain excluded,” the SC said in a recent resolution.

The amendment took effect after publication of the resolution on April 24.

The high court said the move is part of its efforts to streamline court proceedings under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027.

Before this change, Rule 13-A did not cover special proceedings like annulment and nullity of marriage cases.

The Office of the Court Administrator recommended their inclusion, noting that these cases follow similar procedures to civil actions.

The SC has earlier ordered that all filing and service of pleadings, motions, outgoing court documents, and other papers in civil cases in the trial courts must be done electronically through email, except for initiatory pleadings beginning Dec. 1, 2024.