Qualifications for an Annulment

In some cases, a marriage may not have been valid under Texas law when it was carried out. If a marriage can be proven to be legally invalid, then you or your spouse can file for an annulment. An annulment is a less complicated, faster process than a divorce. While divorce is the process for ending a legitimate marriage, an annulment is used for marriages that did not comply with Texas law and so were not legitimate to begin with.

If you believe that you have grounds to have your marriage annulled, you must be able to prove your case in court before an annulment will be granted. An experienced annulment lawyer can advise you on the legal details of the process and can help you gather evidence to support your case in court. Contact the Austin divorce lawyers of Slater, Kennon & Pugh Ltd.LLP today at 512-472-2431 for more information.

Eligibility for Annulment

Your marriage may qualify for annulment under the following conditions:

• Either spouse is less than 14 years old, or under 18 years old without parental consent or court order at the time of the marriage.
• Either spouse was found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the marriage.
• Either spouse was physically or mentally impotent at the time of marriage without the other spouse’s knowledge.
• Fraud, duress, or force was used by one party to make the other party enter a marriage against his or her will.
• Either spouse did not possess the mental capacity to understand the meaning of marriage or consent to marriage when it was performed.
• Either spouse was divorced from another marriage less than 30 days before the marriage.
• The marriage was performed less than 72 hours after getting a Texas marriage license.
• The two parties of the marriage are too closely related.

If any of these conditions apply to your marriage and you wish to seek an annulment, you should contact an annulment attorney immediately. Some of the above conditions expire after a set time period, after which you must seek divorce instead of annulment.

Contact Us

Consulting with a lawyer as soon as you decide that you want to seek an annulment can help to expedite the process and may ensure that you file within the designated time limit. For sound legal advice on the annulment process, don’t hesitate to contact the Austin annulment lawyers of Slater, Kennon & Pugh Ltd.LLP today at 512-472-2431.