Annulment (Nullity)

An annulment is a court declaration that a marriage is void or voidable. In effect, the marriage is treated as if it never existed.

A divorce ends a valid marriage. An annulment says there was no valid marriage in the first place, or that it can be set aside.

Grounds include:

• the couple are related within the prohibited degrees
• one party was under the legal age to marry
• one party was already married (bigamy)
• the marriage was never consummated

Why it matters: if one of these grounds applies, annulment may be the right route instead of divorce. It follows different rules, so check which one fits before you file.