Marriage Annulment in Illinois Explained | Learn About Law

In this article, we explain marriage annulment in Illinois. We’ll answer the following questions:

· What is a marriage annulment?

· What’s the difference between divorce and annulment?

· What are the requirements for marriage annulment in Illinois?

· How do you annul a marriage in Illinois?

When two Illinois residents choose to end their marriage, they have the options of divorce and annulment. In a divorce, the Illinois court orders the dissolution of a legal marriage. In an annulment, the Illinois court rules a marriage invalid, therefore treating the marriage as if it never took place. Many people assume that a marriage annulment is easier to obtain than going through a divorce, but that is not always the case. Annulments have much stricter requirements and time limits than divorce.

What is a marriage annulment?

A marriage annulment is not a legal separation. It is a way for two partners with a fraudulent or invalid marriage to legally exit the marriage. If a marriage is deemed as invalid, it may be from impotency, bigamy, or one partner entering the marriage while unable to consent, due to mental illness, drug or alcohol use, coercion, or being underage. Annulments are not subject to Illinois divorce laws, but they are subject to certain legal requirements, which differ from other states.