A elementary distinction exists between the authorized processes that dissolve a wedding. One course of, annulment, treats a wedding as if it by no means legally existed. This happens when particular situations had been current on the marriage’s inception, rendering it invalid from the beginning. Examples embody bigamy, incest, or one social gathering’s lack of capability to consent attributable to psychological incapacity or being underage. The opposite course of, divorce, acknowledges the validity of the wedding as much as the purpose of dissolution. It terminates a legally acknowledged marital union primarily based on grounds that arose after the wedding started.
Understanding the implications of every course of is essential for people in search of to finish a conjugal relationship. The selection between these choices can considerably impression authorized rights and obligations associated to property division, spousal help, and youngster custody. Traditionally, annulments had been extra ceaselessly sought in conditions the place divorce was socially or religiously unacceptable. Whereas divorce legal guidelines have grow to be extra liberal, annulment stays a related possibility in particular circumstances, providing a clear slate as if the wedding by no means occurred.
