What are the grounds for a religious annulment?

Religious annulments are permitted by certain religions (such as the Roman Catholic Church) after a couple has obtained a civil divorce.  The religious annulment permits the former spouses to later remarry within the church.  Religious annulments only affect the marriage’s sacramental aspect; it does not have any legal effect.

When seeking a religious annulment, couples need to provide a reason for the annulment.  The Catholic Church has several specific grounds under which it will grant religious annulments.  Those who subscribe to the Catholic Church believe that marriage is a contact between the couple and God.  The marriage contact must be valid and entered into willingly.  If these requirements are not met, the marriage is not a valid “contract” and there is no marriage.  A religious annulment states that there was no marriage contracted for and so no marriage ensued.

Some grounds for granting religious annulments include the following:

• ­Consanguinity
• ­Insanity (prevented one from being able to consent)
• ­No intent of being faithful from the beginning
• ­One spouse was deceived by the other in order to gain his or her consent (and the spouse would not have consented to the marriage if had known the truth)
• ­Abduction with intent to compel one to marry
• ­The couple committed adultery
• ­Couple was under the influence when married

If you would like more information regarding annulments, divorce, or any other family law issue, contact a qualified attorney in your area.  A skilled attorney can address any questions you may have and help you through any legal issues you may be facing.