Where and how do you file for an annulment?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Where and how do you file for an annulment?
I’m a permanent resident of PA and my husband is a resident of IL (where we were married). It came to our attention after we were married that he may still be married to his previous wife. We’ve had the courthouse look up the divorce, but none was found. Although his previous wife claimed she had filed. When filing for our marriage license a decree was not needed by state law (although he was under the impression he was divorced). How do we annul this and can I annul via PA?
Asked on August 9, 2011 Pennsylvania
Answers:
L.P., Member, Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
The process for filing for an annulment can vary from state to state. Filing for an annulment means the marriage is dissolved and treated as though it never existed. In Pennsylvania, a couple can file for an annulment, and be voided, if they fall into one of the following categories: (1) if one of the parties was already married at the time that this marriage occurred, (2) the couple is too closely related, (3) one of the parties suffered from some type of some mental incapacity, or (4) at the time of the marriage the parties were under 18 years of age.
Marriages can also be voidable if the couple falls into one of the following categories: (1) if one of the parties was under 16 years of age at the time of the marriage, (2) impotency, (3) either party was intoxicated and initiated a petition within 60 days of the marriage, (4) duress, (5) fraud, (6) coercion or force were used to secure the marriage.
Since he was still married at the time of your marriage, you would qualify for an annulment under Pennsylvania law. You can often file for an annulment in the county where you live or where you were married. You should check with the family law court in your area for further advice to proceed with the annulment.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.