Annulment vs Divorce: What’s the Difference?

Annulment vs divorce — what’s the difference?

When you need to move on from the person that you’re with, it’s important to recognize your legal basis. Annulment and divorces have some similarities, but require you to understand the differences and nuances. 

Read on to learn more about these two areas of law so that you can respond accordingly. 

A Breakdown of Annulment vs Divorce

When you want to get to know the difference between annulment and divorce, there are some subtle nuances that come into play. Here are the finer points that you’ll want to understand:

1. Divorce Dissolves a Marriage That Was Already Legally Valid

Divorce is the area of law that you’re probably most familiar with. It refers to a situation in which you’ve been married for a certain period of time, realize that your marriage no longer works, and you would like to end it. Every state has its own divorce laws — which are carried out in either no-fault states or fault states.

When you are filing in no-fault States you’re claiming no grounds for divorce, and are claiming that you have irreconcilable or irretrievable differences. With fault divorce, you’re claiming that the other party was abusive, or a host of other possibilities.

2. Annulment Renders a Marriage Legally Invalid

You’ve probably heard the phrase annulment, but perhaps you don’t know exactly what it is. 

With an annulment, you’re not ending a marriage, but are claiming legal grounds that the marriage should have never been legal, to begin with. This can happen in a number of situations.

For instance, a person may claim that they got married under false pretenses, another person was not in the right frame of mind, incest occurred, or a series of other issues that could delegitimize a marriage.

3. Understand the Processes of Both

Regardless of how you would like to move past the marriage, it’s important that you get to know the processes for both divorce and annulment. 

When preparing for divorce, you’ll need the help of a lawyer that can assist you. They will help you to not only end your marriage but also protect your assets and make sure that you’re treated fairly in the aftermath. 

An annulment attorney will need to have solid grounds why your marriage should not have been legitimate. This requires plenty of detail and an understanding of the law. 

Regardless, make sure that you take the time to look into the best legal professionals available so that you can move forward in your personal life. 

Get to Know the Difference Between Annulment and Divorce

When considering annulment vs divorce, it’s vital that you do your research and make sure that you choose the classification that suits you. 

Annulment and divorce are very similar but have some crucial differences. Take the time to understand the points in this article in order to get the legal help of professionals that can look out for you. 

Make us a resource whenever you’d like to also get help on related topics. Consider these tips and get the legal help that you need.