4 Reasons You Might Consider an Annulment Instead of a Divorce

All 50 states allow for no-fault divorces, but there are some circumstances in which you might prefer to get an annulment instead. While most marriages don’t qualify for an annulment, those that do might be better served by this process rather than divorce.

The following are a few common reasons why people choose annulments:

• New information has come to light: Under New York law, you must be able to demonstrate something you have found out since the marriage occurred would have stopped you from legally entering the marriage had you known about it earlier. Examples include a spouse who was already married, an enormous debt you were not aware of, lies about identity or other forms of fraud.
• You are religious: Some religions, such as Catholicism, require you to have your marriage annulled by the church if you wish to get remarried someday. You may have a civil divorce and a religious annulment and still get remarried, although you might wish to get a legal annulment for simplicity’s sake. Keep in mind that the standards for a legal annulment are not the same as those for a religious annulment.
• You do not want the divorce on public record: Some people wish to keep the record of their divorce out of the public eye. An annulment is not subject to public record like a divorce is, and so it can offer you some privacy in that regard.
• You expect property division to be an issue: If you expect complications to arise with the division of marital property, going through the annulment process could prevent you from losing a portion of your assets.

To learn more about the annulment process and whether you qualify, meet with a skilled Long Island family law attorney at Bryan L. Salamone & Associates.