What is an Annulment?

In a nutshell, an annulment is a legal procedural process that once completed, makes the marriage void. It is somewhat similar to a divorce, except when a marriage is annuled, it can be as if the marriage never took place. Now of course, that is a simplistic definition, because specific laws in different states may vary as to what marriages and circumstances warrant an annulment to be granted by the courts. Also, many marriage annulments are retroactive in nature. This means that it may become null and void all the way back to the original marriage date.

Types of Annulment:

• Civil
• Religious (processed and sanctioned by a church)

Reasons for it to be granted:

The reasons that a court may grant a civil annulment can vary, depending upon the state in which you reside. However, some of the common reasons are as follows:

• concealment (ie, a spouse may have concealed a criminal record or addiction)
• fraud or misrepresentation (ie, a spouse may have withheld certain facts)
• insanity
• certain misunderstandings or refusals by one or both spouses

As you can probably imagine, or maybe have experienced, when you are even contemplating divorce or marriage annulment, things at home are just not right. These times can be extremely stressful for all persons involved, especially the children.

To file a case to get a marriage dissolved and to become annulled, you must contact the court system in your local area to determine what petitions or documents for filing will be required in order to process your request for a court decision on the matter.

If you have specific concerns or questions as it may relate to your own personal situation, it is important to consult an attorney for specific answers as to how it pertains to you and your state laws.

Resources:
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annulment
• www.mncourts.gov/selfhelp/