There is a difference legally between an Annulment and Divorce. An Annulment voids a marriage entirely as if the marriage never occurred. An Annulment (‘nullity of marriage’ or ‘nullity of domestic partnership’) is when a Court says your marriage is NOT legally valid.

An Annulment is difficult to obtain and very hard to prove. The person seeking to void a marriage must either prove that the marriage was void as a matter of law, or is voidable based on legal grounds due to fraud, coercion, or incompetency. The mere fact that one or both parties are Catholic and no longer want to remain married is insufficient to obtain an Annulment.

A marriage is void by operation of law (invalid from the beginning) if it is the result of an incestuous marriage (close blood relatives) or bigamous marriage (a spouse is married to someone else).

A marriage can be voidable (by order of the court) and declared invalid based on:

If you have discovered that your prior marriage was never fully dissolved before you entered into a new marriage, or you discover your spouse never dissolved their prior marriage before marrying you, it is essential that you contact an experienced attorney immediately. Failing to take action in these circumstances can result in serious unintended consequences. Our Attorneys are experienced in this area of the law and can assist you in navigating the complex process of obtaining a nunc pro tunc judgment (to ensure your prior marriage is dissolved before your current marriage) or obtaining the status of a Putative Spouse to afford you rights that spouses are entitled to in California, including spousal support, division of assets and debts, and attorney fees and costs. 

Your issue may be time sensitive, please contact our Law Firm to set-up your Initial Consultation.

Please read the FAQs’ prior to your Initial Consultation.

We practice in all California Counties. In addition, Our Attorneys represents clients throughout California, the United States, and foreign countries with regard to Hague Matters.