Annulment Law

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Annulment Attorney

Serving All of Porter, Lake & LaPorte, Indiana

A marriage can be annulled for multiple reasons. Much like a divorce, annulment ends legal union of two spouses. In fact, an annulment makes a marriage invalid from its inception. It is a procedure that states that a marriage never occurred. Certain conditions must apply for a marriage to be annulled. Examples such as: fraud, misrepresentation, duress (both physical and mental), mental disability, and bigamy. 

Annulment vs. Divorce

It is important to note that an annulment and a divorce is not the same thing. These two terms are not interchangeable. Divorce means “this marriage is over” whereas annulment means “this marriage never happened”.


In Indiana, there are several conditions that must be met in order to claim that a marriage never happened. The marriage may be able to be annulled if the petitioner was under the age of 18 or mentally incompetent. Fraud from the non-petitioning party is another way to get a marriage annulled. Misrepresentation can be grounds for an annulment. This includes using a false name, already being married to another spouse, or any other false claim.

Legal Annulment vs. Religious Annulment

Many people confuse a legal annulment with a religious annulment. In Indiana, a legal annulment is a court process that states that a marriage never occurred, if approved. It returns both parties to their pre-marital condition and a division of marital property is not necessary. Each person leaves the union with full rights to their original assets - as if the marriage never happened. 



A religious annulment, however, has nothing to do with the state court system. Most popular in the Catholic church, a religious annulment is a declaration that the sacrament of marriage was invalid. It will first require the parishioner to obtain either a legal annulment or a divorce granted by the court system in order for a church to approve a religious annulment. Religious annulments are solely conducted by the church or other religious institution. For more information regarding religious annulment, ask your local church or parish. 


Call for your free consultation today at 219-477-6490


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