Annulment
Annulment Attorney in Lehi, UT
HOYER LAW FIRM
51 E. Main St.
Lehi, UT 84043
(801) 901-0797
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Annulment
For married couples in Utah who are considering separating for good, there are two options that they can look at: the more common divorce, or the less customary annulment.
Both cases enable you to be legally separated from your spouse, but what is the difference? And which one of those two options would work better for you? If you don’t want to sweat the details, you can always seek a reliable law firm’s advice.
At Hoyer Law Firm, family and criminal defense attorney Casey Hoyer can be a tremendous help. With years of experience and a plethora of cases under his belt, you can rest assured that your divorce or annulment case will be handled effectively. Located in Lehi, Utah, Hoyer Law Firm serves clients located in the surrounding areas of Provo and Salt Lake City, Utah.
What Is the Difference Between a Divorce and an Annulment?
Simply put, an annulment is the invalidation of a marriage because it had no legal basis in the first place. What this means is under the eyes of the law, you (or your spouse) proved that your marriage was not valid or held no legal grounds.
Divorce explicitly acknowledges that your marriage is valid but that you and your spouse are now separating for various reasons.
How Do You Know If Your Marriage Is Viable for Annulment?
What factors does the court consider before you can reasonably apply for a marriage annulment? Here is a quick list of potential grounds that the law considers reasonable grounds.
Misrepresentation
The general idea behind misrepresentation is that one spouse lied about facts that the court may deem harmful to the partner spouse.
The deliberation on what these “harmful facts” are may be quite technical to the ordinary layperson. If misrepresentation is your main reason for annulment, we recommended you consult a reliable family and criminal defense lawyer to get your case started.
Fraud
A spouse can file for an annulment if they can prove that the other spouse purposefully lied or hid something that directly affects the marriage relationship.
Underage Marriage
Utah state’s laws prohibit underage marriages. If one of the spouses married while under the legal age, the marriage is considered invalid and therefore annulled. The same applies to individuals between the ages of 16 and 18 who did not officially receive explicit consent to marry from their parents or legal guardian.
Incest
The law considers marriages between related individuals to be invalid. Courts consider individuals “related” if they are first cousins or even closer.
Impotence
The law also acknowledges the consummation of a marriage to be a critical part of the relationship. If one of the spouses is proven incapable of having sexual intercourse or, in some instances, vehemently unwilling to perform the act, then this can be a legal ground for annulment.
Bigamy
If a spouse has not yet successfully annulled or divorced to dissolve a previous marriage at the time of the new marriage, then the new marriage is deemed invalid.
Annulment involves a specific set of technical requirements to succeed in court. We recommend that you consult with Hoyer Law Firm for legal advice to determine the best method of dissolving your marriage. We will work with you to reach the best possible outcome.
