Annulment

Divorce may be the most common legal procedure for ending a marriage, but it may not be the only option available. Depending on your circumstances, it may be possible to have your marriage annulled.

Annulment can, in effect, make it so that, legally, you were never married.

Every state has its own laws governing marriage issues, including whether you might be able to get an annulment from your marriage. A local family lawyer may be your best resource to determine if annulment is an option for you.

To see if you can end your marriage through annulment, connect with a local lawyer today. Use the case review form below to arrange your initial consultation with a family law attorney near you.

Annulment Defined

Annulment is less common, and therefore less widely understood, than divorce. Annulment is a similar legal process, with different results. If a marriage is annulled, the marriage typically is considered never legal in the state where it occurred. The legal bodies governing that state recognize the marriage is null and void. An annulled marriage is as if the marriage never existed.

Potential Grounds for Annulment

Annulment law varies from state to state, but most jurisdictions have similar eligibility requirements that a marriage must meet to qualify for annulment, which may include:

• Bigamy - if either spouse was already married
• Consanguinity - if the spouses were too closely related to be married
• Fraud or Force - if either party was coerced into the marriage
  
• Age - if either spouse was too young to marry
• Mental incompetence at the time of marriage - if either spouse was mentally ill or under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Physical incompetence at time of marriage - if either spouse was physically unable to consummate the marriage
• Prison - if either spouse was sentenced to life in prison at the time of the wedding
• Concealment - if either spouse hid a significant aspect of personality from the other spouse, such as addiction, felony conviction or STDs

Laws on annulment depend on what state you live in. Consult a local divorce lawyer to decide if annulment is an option for you.

Talk to a Lawyer About Annulment

While illegal marriages are not valid, a legal decree of annulment may be needed to document the dissolution of the union. A local divorce lawyer will have more information about what procedures you need to follow to follow through with your annulment.

Contact a local divorce lawyer near you by filling out our divorce case review form or calling 877-349-1310. Total Divorce can connect you with a divorce attorney in your area and set up a preliminary consultation today.

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