It's a common misconception among people seeking the services of a Pasadena matrimonial attorney that you can get an annulment if your marriage is extremely short. The reality is that the length of your marriage is irrelevant.
In order to get an annulment, you need to be able to prove that your marriage fits at least one of the following criteria:
- You and your spouse are close blood relatives.
- One of you is already married or in a registered domestic partnership with someone else.
- One of you was under the legal age of consent at the time of the marriage.
- Force was used to get one of you to consent to the marriage.
- One of you was of "unsound mind" at the time the marriage took place.
- One of you was physically unable to consummate the relationship and this condition appears to be incurable.
- Fraud was involved in the marriage proposal. (Examples of fraud would include wanting to get married only to obtain a green card or failing to disclose your inability to have children if you knew your future spouse wanted to have a family together.)
In 2004, singer Britney Spears was able to successfully have her 55 hour marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander annulled. Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and NBA player Kris Humphries were married just 72 days in 2011, but it's quite possible that Humphries won't be able to get his request for an annulment approved. The reason for the difference in the handling of these two cases is that Spears was intoxicated and thus legally unable to consent to marriage. Humphries wants an annulment based on fraud, which is much harder to prove.
There is no statute of limitations for getting a divorce or separation, but there are time constraints relating to the ability to file for an annulment. If this is an option you wish to pursue, you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible. If the court denies your petition for an annulment, you can file a request for a divorce or separation.
How Can We Help?
If you would like to seek an annulment, please contact our office at (626) 683-8113 or email us at info@PasadenaLawOffice.com. Our experienced Pasadena matrimonial lawyers can review your case to determine if you would meet the necessary criteria for having your marriage annulled.