Did you get married, perhaps a quickie one in Las Vegas, and wake up the next day to realize you made a mistake?
Did the word annulment come to mind? Actually, annulments have nothing to do with the duration of your marriage or changes of heart. An annulment is a legal way of erasing a union that could not or should not have existed in the first place.
An annulment is a declaration by the state that a marriage never existed – even though a ceremony took place. It is when a court says your marriage is not legally valid.
Just as with a divorce, you need grounds for an annulment – certain factors must have come into play, including:
- Failure to consummate the marriage
- Insanity
- Mental incompetency
- Bigamy
- Fraud
- One or both of the parties under the legal age
- Concealment of certain facts, such as having a criminal record or being sterile
- Were you threatened or coerced into agreeing to the marriage?
While annulments are typically granted to couples who have been married for a short time, there are instances when an annulled marriage lasted long enough for the couple to have children, acquire debt and assets.
An annulment can be extremely contentious. If you would like to learn more about grounds for annulment, the time limit to start an annulment, or any related issues applicable to your case, the Orange County family law offices of Amy M. Montes is the right choice for expedient conflict resolution, expert negotiations and reliable representation.
This is probably one of the most challenging times in your life and you’re facing a great deal of emotional strain. Let us put your mind at ease so that you can concentrate on moving on with your life.
