What is an Annulment?

Current info about Annulment is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest Annulment info available.

Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Annulment differs from divorce where the court ends an otherwise legal marriage on a specific date.

In strict legal terminology, annulment refers only to making a voidable marriage null; if the marriage is void ab initio, then it is automatically null, although a legal declaration of nullity is required to establish this. The process of obtaining such a declaration is similar to the annulment process.

Grounds for Annulment
Grounds for a marriage being voidable or void ab initio vary in different legal jurisdictions, but are typically limited to fraud, bigamy, and mental incompetence including that:

* Either spouse was already married to someone else at the time of the marriage;

* Either spouse was too young to be married, or too young without required court or parental consent;

* Either spouse was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the marriage;

* Either spouse was mentally incompetent at the time of the marriage;

* If the consent to the marriage was based on fraud or force;

* Either spouse was physically incapable to be married (typically, inability to have sexual intercourse which persists) at the time of the marriage;

* The marriage is prohibited by law due to the relationship between the parties.

* Infidelity exists in marriage, or partners are unfaithful

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This article is Copyright © 2006, Heather Colman. Permission is granted to reprint this article as the links stay live, and this entire resource box is included. Find more annulment resources at annulment-centre.info.