ABA Family Legal Guide

Family Law

3.4 Separation, Annulment, and Divorce

Annulment

What is an annulment?

An annulment is a court ruling that a marriage was never valid. The most common ground for annulment is fraud or misrepresentation. For example, one person may have not disclosed to the other a prior divorce, a criminal record, an infectious disease, or an inability to engage in sex or have children. Annulment may also be granted for bigamy, incest, or marriage to an underage person.