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Providing Attorney Representation in Seattle, WA since 1991
Annulment is different from divorce in that, while they both terminate a relationship, annulment stands as a court-ordered declaration that no valid marriage ever existed.Such a declaration can have a favorable outcome with respect to considerations of property division and spousal maintenance. Annulment is not a common option for most couples seeking to end a relationship, but for some it can have some profound legal advantages. You should consult a Washington Family Law Attorney to discuss the potential advantages.
Annulment is possible when the marriage was not valid when entered for some reason. One example is when one spouse was under the legal age of 18 when the marriage vows were taken. Another would be that one party had another spouse at the time of the marriage. Incompetence based upon mental defect or drug and alcohol induced incapacitation qualifies. Having been defrauded about some quality essential to the marriage such as sexual impotence, the concealment of a venereal disease or hiding the fact of a pregnancy by another man can also anchor an annulment. And force and duress, in which a partner was unwillingly compelled by fear or threats, can also nullify a marriage.
Drafting a proper petition for annulment or invalidating the marriage is a legally exacting process. The document must be perfected to include all the relevant circumstances and causes and include provisions for any potential property division, alimony or child care provisions. These documents must be served upon the courts and the proper parties in a timely fashion according to the requirements of law. Our Seattle family law attorney team at V. Freitas Law has considerable experience in successfully drafting and executing such petitions.
So, if your lovely but impressionable teenage daughter ran off to Las Vegas with the “wrong” person to find herself the blushing bride at Elvis’s wedding chapel, you needn’t fret about who you may find sitting across the table from you at the next Thanksgiving Day dinner. We at V. Freitas Law, PLLC, specialists in Seattle family law that we are, would be delighted to send the young lad packing for youso that he can make his next concert engagement. The more quickly you react the more favorable the outcome will be. Call us now at (206) 328-7362 to insure a better future for you and your family.
