Maven Family Law, APC represents clients in annulment proceedings. We help individuals determine whether their marriage can be legally declared invalid under California law and assist them in the related proceedings.
Unlike divorce, which terminates a valid marriage, an annulment establishes that a marriage was never legally valid due to specific circumstances, which can include:
- Fraud or Misrepresentation: One of the parties was deceived into marrying (e.g., immigration marriages, concealing a criminal past, or lying about infertility)
- Prior Existing Marriage: One of the parties was already married at the time of the wedding
- Coercion or Force: One of the parties was threatened or forced into marriage against his/her will
- Unsound Mind / Mental Incapacity: One of the parties did not understand the responsibilities of the marriage contract due to mental illness, drug or alcohol use, or impairment of some kind
Underage Marriage: One or both parties were under 18 and did not proceed with the required parental consent or court approval
Annulments can involve nuanced legal and factual issues that involve strict evidentiary requirements and time limitations. Furthermore, they can also raise various complex questions related to property division, spousal support, parentage, and child-related matters.
Maven Family Law, APC gathers all the facts and goes through various possible outcomes with our clients to determine whether pursuing an annulment is a viable or desirable path.