Office of the Tribunal

The Metropolitan Tribunal is the Ecclesiastical Court of the Archdiocese of Washington. It is charged with administering justice, both as a court of first instance and as an appellate court, for matters of public good brought before the Church. Although most cases brought before the Tribunal involve questions of marital nullity, the court also acts as the competent forum for other issues, including penal matters.

The Tribunal cannot guarantee the duration of the annulment process or its outcome. Therefore, do not set a date for a marriage ceremony within the Catholic Church or for being baptized or received into the Catholic Church (OCIA program) until a declaration of nullity has been issued.

Any general questions regarding annulments should be directed to [email protected] or to 301-853-4543.

Documents are to be sent to:

Metropolitan Tribunal
Archdiocese of Washington
PO Box 29260
Washington, DC 20017-0260

Forms and Documents

1. Petition for a Formal case
   1. Instructions for a formal case  (coming soon)
   2. Tribunal policies and practice agreement (coming soon)
   3. Libellus (petition) English| Spanish (Form T1)
   4. Narrative guidelines English| Spanish
   5. FAQ English| Spanish

1. Petition for a Lack of Form case
   1. Instructions for a lack of form case  (coming soon)
   2. Petition form English| Spanish  (Form T2)

3. Petition for a Pauline Privilege case
   1. Instructions for Pauline Privilege case (coming soon)
   2. FAQ
   3. Petition form