Annulment


Definition of Annulment

An annulment is the act of declaring a marriage null and void. it is the legal equivalent of saying that it never took place. Unlike a divorce, which is the dissolution of a marriage, an annulment is a judicial statement that contends that the marriage never happened. The grounds for annulment vary according to the jurisdiction. They usually include fraud, misrepresentation, concealment, misunderstanding, and refusal or inability to copulate.



Annulment Explained

Contrary to popular opinion, annulment existed long before the origination of divorce. Some jurisdictions around the world have laws for annulment while others do not. In the United States, New York and Nevada are two states that have comprehensive laws enacted for the annulment of a marriage. The grounds on which an annulment can be granted differ from the grounds for divorce. Whereas divorce can be fault or no-fault based, annulment focuses on fault before a marriage that results in the marriage being invalid.