Annulment Versus Divorce
A decree of annulment legally voids a marriage. In contrast to a divorce, which legally ends a marriage, a decree of annulment declares that the marriage in question was never valid and thus voidable. Marriages may be found invalid in particular cases of fraud, when particular information may have been withheld by one party from the other, and in cases of intimidation or duress. In the state of Virginia, parties can only originate a suit of annulment if they meet these qualifications. Essentially, an annulment erases any trace that the marriage in question existed.
Famous Cases
In one famous case, the wife of Mexican actor Felipe de Alba obtained a decree of annulment one day after the couple was wed. The court voided the marriage because Zsa Zsa Gabor was still legally wed to another man at the time of her marriage to Felipe de Alba. In another widely publicized suit, Darva Conger contested her marriage to Rick Rockwell that had occurred live on the hit reality show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Conger was granted an annulment on the grounds that she was not aware of a restraining order formerly filed against Rockwell.
The Virginia Code of Statutes is very specific in regards to obtaining an annulment. Let one of our family law attorneys guide you through this process and answer all your legal questions. We encourage you to give us a call at (804) 325-1245 (Richmond) or 757-941-4298 (Williamsburg) to set up an initial consultation.
For a more comprehensive look at annulments and how to get an annulment in Virginia read this article, here: http://www.smithstrong.com/
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