What are the grounds for getting a marriage annulled?

In Washington state, annulment is a legal process that renders a marriage invalid. An annulment is different from a divorce in that it declares a marriage never legally existed. As such, it is necessary to meet certain criteria in order to obtain an annulment. The person requesting an annulment must prove that one or more of the grounds for an annulment has been met. These grounds include bigamy, or one person already being married when entering into the marriage; mental incompetence; fraud or duress; or that the marriage was consanguineous (one partner being related to the other by blood). The spouse must also prove that the other party was aware of the particular circumstance that would make the marriage invalid. For example, If someone was fraudulent in obtaining a marriage license, the other spouse must have known about it in order for the marriage to be annulled. Under Washington state law, both parties must agree to an annulment. This means that if the other spouse does not agree to the annulment and refuses to cooperate with the process, then the court will not grant the annulment. In addition, certain time restrictions apply to annulments. Generally, Washington state requires that the annulment is requested within 180 days of the marriage ceremony, or within 60 days of learning that the grounds for annulment exist. If all criteria are met, the court will enter a decree of annulment, which means it declares that the marriage is invalid and that it never legally existed.

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What are the grounds for getting a marriage annulled?

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