Annulment | Legal Separations

Annulment | Legal Separations

 Divorce Lawyer 

An annulment is a legal arrangement that states a marriage is null and void.  For all legal intents and purposes, it is as if the marriage never existed at all.  Some localities do not allow annulments, but these laws vary from state to state. There are several conditions that can judges can use to invalidate a marriage, including fraud, coercion, bigamy, mental incompetence, sexual inability, legal preventions, lack of parental consent, or infidelity. 

Annulment was often a tool used throughout history to end a marriage without having the stigma or legal entanglements of a divorce.  Most annulments take place within a few weeks or months of a marriage, so the division of assets and property do not usually come into play, and issues dealing with children or child support aren't involved.  In longer relationships that end in annulment, individual states have their own laws that determine how separating spouses can divide their property and provide support for each other.

An important facet of annulment is that any children produced during the marriage are considered legitimate in the eyes of the law.  Depending on the state of residence, annulment can be as expensive as a divorce even though it is an entirely different procedure.  Annulments carry the same weight and finality of a divorce, but participants can usually remarry without sanction from their church or faith.

If you are considering an annulment, you need to consult an experienced legal professional who can help ensure that the arrangement works best for your particular needs.  Marriage law can be extremely complicated and confusing, so an informed legal guide can help you minimize your time, energy, and money so that you can move forward with your life today. 

Contact a skilled divorce lawyer today.