Yep. I know a guy. His wife wigged-out, flipped out, went mental. Ran off and left him to raise 2 little kids alone.
He is now middle-aged and living in sin with a girlfriend because he does not have the money to buy an annulment, the way so many others have.
If you are really poor, it costs nothing. If you have limited means, you pay as much of the fee as you can. If you have means, you pay the full tribunal fee which ranges from $500 to $1,000 depending on the complexity of the case. E.g. if they have to collect documents or depositions from people in another country.
I read that Catholic marriage tribunals in the U.S. ended up $14,000,000 in the red last year. It is not now and never was a money-making proposition. Tribunal fees are minimal compared to civil divorce fees.
The friend is pulling your leg, poorly catechized, or misinformed.
Or,... he may even know that his reasons for the divorce do not meet the narrow criteria to obtain an annulment. In this case, some marginal Catholics will pull the “buy out” cannard for justifying their condition.
Annulments obtained in the Church require legal examination, hearings, research, dedicated staff etc., as secular legal efforts would with an law professional outside the Church.
Just sayin’.
“he does not have the money to buy an annulment, the way so many others have”
My wife’s annulment cost $400. If he does not have the money he could go to Catholic Charities or the Knights of Columbus and they would give it to him.
the money will not stop the annulment, he just doesn’t want to do it so he is living in adultery