What Is an Annulment?

Full Video Transcript

Did you get married only to realize the marriage was a mistake? One way to terminate a marriage is to obtain an annulment. An annulment is a legal decree that the marriage was never valid in the first place. This means that in the eyes of the law, it never existed. Since there are legal requirements to enter into marriage, such as the appropriate age and mental capacity to agree to marriage, the failure to meet any of these legal requirements typically are grounds for an annulment. For instance, if you or your intended spouse were completely intoxicated when you got married, you might not have had the legal capacity to legally get married, and, therefore, may be entitled to an annulment. Also, if one of the spouses was not of legal age to be married, then the marriage may be annulled. Finally, there may be other grounds for an annulment, including force, threat, duress, misrepresentation, or even that the person was already married. Obviously, whether or not you would be entitled to an annulment depends upon the circumstances of your relationship. For more information, contact an experienced attorney in your area today.