In Connecticut, a divorce is not the only way to legally end a marriage. If you believe your marriage was never legal, you may have the right to have it annulled. Our team of experienced divorce attorneys can review your situation and help you understand your options. A Hartford annulment lawyer at Dolan Divorce Lawyers, the largest dedicated family law firm in Connecticut, can help you move forward to the next stage of your life.
Annulment is the legal process used to declare that a marriage never existed. It involves the court declaring that you were never legally married because of underlying issues that made your marriage invalid. This process does not replace divorce and only applies in cases where the courts find the marriage was not valid from the beginning. In other words, Connecticut would not have granted you a marriage license had the state been aware of these issues at the time of your marriage.
The law will not allow you to annul your marriage simply because the relationship has failed. Nonetheless, an annulment can still involve many of the same issues as a breakdown of the marriage that leads to divorce, albeit subject to different legal standards. Our Hartford attorneys can guide you through the legal nullification of a marriage and protect your right to leave that relationship.
A judge will not annul a marriage for just any reason, but our Hartford attorneys can review your case to determine if you have grounds to pursue an annulment. Below are some valid grounds for annulment.
If one spouse lied about something essential to the marriage, the court may grant an annulment. This usually involves serious deception, such as lying about concealing felonies.
A marriage is not valid if one spouse is already legally married to someone else. If you can show your spouse was already married at the time of your wedding, the courts will allow you to pursue an annulment.
Both spouses must have the mental ability to understand what they agree to. If one person was suffering impairment by alcohol or drugs or lacked mental capacity at the time of the ceremony, a court may declare the marriage invalid.
State law sets minimum age requirements for marriage. If you or your spouse were underage at the time of the marriage, the courts may annul it. The law may consider these marriages valid, however, if there was parental consent at the time.
Certain close family relationships cannot marry under the law, including marriage between siblings. The courts always have the power to declare these unions void.
It is helpful to understand the major differences between annulment and divorce before you decide which option to pursue. The key difference is how the law views the marriage itself. A divorce ends a legally valid marriage, but an annulment declares that the marriage was never valid from the outset.
From a practical standpoint, both processes can involve similar steps, such as filing paperwork, presenting evidence, and appearing in court. However, annulments can be more difficult to obtain as they are only granted in limited circumstances. An annulment attorney in Hartford can help you understand these differences and how they apply to your situation.
If you have questions about the process of annulling your marriage, our firm has the answers and experience to guide you through everything step-by-step. Divorce may not be the only way to end a marriage under certain circumstances, and a Hartford annulment lawyer at our firm can explain all of your options. Call us today to schedule a private consultation.
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