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Annulment

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Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void.[1]Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place (though some jurisdictions provide that the marriage is only void from the date of the annulment). For example, this is the case in section 12 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 in England and Wales.[2] In legal terminology, an annulment makes a void marriage or a voidable marriage null.
Annulments are closely associated with the Catholic Church, which does not permit divorce, teaching that marriage is a lifelong commitment which cannot be dissolved through divorce, but can be annulled if invalidly entered into.
Annulment is called faskh in Islam.[3]

Effects of Annulment

Most couples who get an annulment have been married a very short time and an annulment restores their prior marital status. In the eyes of the law, the annulled marriage never happened, in contrast to a divorce, which ends the marriage.
However, before deciding on annulment, know how it will affect other areas of your life, mainly your children and property. When you are fully informed, you're in the best position possible to make the right decision for your case.

Causes for annulment * In order to legally marry, couples have to meet certain standards. People under the legal age cannot get married, and neither can blood relatives nor those who are already married. But if they circumvent the law and somehow do manage to get married, they can get their marriage annulled. Age of consent for marriage varies from state to state. In most states, both parties need to be 18 to marry without parental consent. Most states allow couples ages 16 to 18 to marry with the permission of both parents.
Some states allow first cousins to marry, while most do not. That's why it's important to check into the laws of the state where you reside.
More causes * It is cause for annulment if one or both parties were mentally incapacitated at the time of the marriage ceremony, due to drugs, alcohol or mental disability. It's also cause for annulment if one of the parties entered into the marriage due to force, duress or threat, or if one of the parties committed fraud by concealing vital information. If your partner had a criminal history and concealed that from you, you have cause for annulment. If he hid the fact that he had a sexually transmitted disease, that would also be considered cause. Also, if one of the parties was impotent--unable to have intercourse--and failed to disclose that before marriage, this is cause for annulment. If the marriage is not consummated, that is grounds for annulment.
Why people choose annulment over divorce * When a couple gets their marriage annulled, they will not divide up the property or pay alimony, as they would in a divorce. Generally each person will retain the property they brought to the marriage. However, if there are children involved, child support would be determined by the court, just the same as in a divorce situation.

The Advantages of Annulment
An annulment can help you avoid the disadvantages of divorce.
An annulment is an alternative to divorce, but it is harder to get since you have to prove to the court why the marriage is invalid and should be annulled. Basically, you have to show the court why the marriage never should have happened. An annulment can often be obtained if one person was already married at the time, if one person fails to disclose a

The Disadvantages of Annulment
The Disadvantages of Annulment
An annulment is a judgment that makes a marriage null or void from the date it occurred, which is very different from an actual divorce. Many married couples choose an annulment over a divorce for religious purposes, because some religions don't approve of divorce. Like a divorce, an annulment also has its disadvantages that you must take into consideration.

What is the Difference Between a Divorce and an Annulment?
A divorce ends a legal marriage and declares the husband and wife to be single again.
An annulment ends a marriage that the parties believe shouldn't have happened because of unknown facts (a voidable marriage) or because the marriage wasn't legal to begin with (a void marriage) because it broke the law such as bigamy, incest, etc.
Duane L. Coker: "An annulment just turns back time so that the act of marriage never happened."
Source: Duane L. Coker. "What is the Difference Between an Annulment and a Divorce?" DentonTexasDivorce.com. 1/04/2012.
"The main benefit of annulment is the law treats the marriage as if it never existed. It's over, and there are no further issues to deal with. Divorce, on the other hand, may mean involvement with your ex-spouse for years to come on issues such as support, property division and raising children ... Annulment isn't for everyone. Only a small percentage of those who are married can even qualify for one."

The Annulment Process: Introduction
The institution of marriage, by which a man and a woman become one in a partnership of the whole of life, was established by God. Moreover, the marriage covenant between two baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament. So sacred is the bond of marriage, that Christ Himself declared that what God has joined together no one is to divide. When a man and a woman exchange consent to marry, when they say "I do," they agree to enter that perpetual and ever faithful bond of marriage which is directed to their own well being, and to the procreation and education of children.
Sadly, however, the life of a marriage can be a fragile thing. Divorce has become one of the familiar tragedies of our day. Many marriages are not successful in spite of good intentions of the spouses. This is true even when a family has been established, and the marriage has lasted for many years. The Church attempts always to be as sensitive and understanding as possible to the stress and pain that all this brings to people. The Office of the Tribunal of the Diocese of Austin exists largely to help all those who are divorced (and with a possible remarriage) who now seek a clarification of their status in the Church.
Once a marriage is entered into between any two persons, Catholic, Protestant, or non-Christian, it is presumed to be a valid and binding union until the contrary can be proven. And as long as a person is bound to a previous valid marriage, the Church does not permit a second marriage to take place. The Church has established certain procedures by which persons can attempt to prove that a previous marriage was not valid or binding, thereby assuring that they are free to marry according to the rites of the Church. This usually involves those persons who seek to marry in the Church, but have been previously married. However, others too may need the assistance of the Tribunal. For example, divorced Catholics may want to settle the status of a previous marriage that ended in divorce even though they have no immediate plans to remarry.
There are many misconceptions about what a declaration of nullity in the Catholic Church actually is. The following information is an attempt to answer the most frequently asked questions about annulments. Next is "Practical Considerations."

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