Virginia, from 1969 to today, is for lovers. Our state tourism slogan reminds us of this every day. Sure, it sounds a little racy, but it has led to a boom in tourism and (amazing!) a rise in marriages. Lovers, after all, tend to seal the deal. But when a marriage turns out to be as thinly supported as the paper on a bumper sticker, many men feel the time to move on. Choices for breaking the bonds include separation, divorce, and annulment.
A World Within. A State Apart.
Nevada’s tourism slogan could describe the turmoil you feel in your marriage. You each move in your own little world and have grown apart. An annulment is possible, and it could answer many of the same issues as a divorce could achieve, such as child support, child custody, and spousal support.
Annulment means you hire a lawyer to bring a legal suit to end the marriage because of specific issues. The Code of Virginia spells this out (brace yourselves!) in Title 20, Chapter 3, Section 20-38.1:
- A marriage entered into prior to the dissolution of an earlier marriage of one of the parties;
- A marriage between an ancestor and descendant, or between a brother and a sister, whether the relationship is by the half or the whole blood or by adoption;
- A marriage between an uncle and a niece or between an aunt and a nephew, whether the relationship is by the half or the whole blood
So if you find out too late that you married your niece, your long-lost sister, or a woman who has not bothered to divorce her previous husband, you can get an annulment. But wait, there’s more! Title 20, Chapter 3, Section 45.1 brings a whole new list of reasons to void a marriage:
- All marriages solemnized when either of the parties lacked capacity to consent to the marriage at the time the marriage was solemnized, because of mental incapacity or infirmity, shall be void from the time they shall be so declared by a decree of divorce or nullity.
- All marriages solemnized on or after July 1, 2016, when either or both of the parties were, at the time of the solemnization, under the age of 18 and have not been emancipated as required by § 20-48 shall be void from the time they shall be so declared by a decree of divorce or nullity.
So if you married a woman who turned out to be not merely sleeping through the wedding but was, in fact, in a coma, that marriage is nixed. If you married a Virginia woman who claimed to be 18 but was, in fact, 15, annul that marriage.
Wild and Wonderful
West Virginia’s slogan could apply to this next set of circumstances spelled out in Code of Virginia Title 20, Chapter 6, Section 20-89.1:
By virtue of fraud or duress, either party may institute a suit for annulling the same; and upon proof of the nullity of the marriage, it shall be decreed void by a decree of annulment.
If your bride’s father strong-armed you into the wedding, you can sue for an annulment. If she married you by fraud, you not only have grounds for annulment, it leads to larger legal issues, for her.
Endless Discoveries
Delaware’s tourism slogan could apply to these next unhappy reasons for annulment. While little blue pills exist for one issue, there’s little to be done about the others in Title 20, Chapter 6, Section 20-89.1:
In the case of natural or incurable impotency of body existing at the time of entering into the marriage contract, or when, prior to the marriage, either party, without the knowledge of the other, had been convicted of a felony, or when, at the time of the marriage, the wife, without the knowledge of the husband, was with child by some person other than the husband, or where the husband, without knowledge of the wife, had fathered a child born to a woman other than the wife within 10 months after the date of the solemnization of the marriage, or where, prior to the marriage, either party had been, without the knowledge of the other, a prostitute, a decree of annulment may be entered upon proof, on complaint of the party aggrieved.
You are in a bad way if you could not consummate the marriage, if either of you hid a felony conviction, or if some other dude had no trouble consummating with your new bride without your knowledge. These sorts of discoveries, we hope, are not endless, but they sure are unpleasant grounds for annulment.
It’s All Here with our Skilled Divorce & Annulment Attorneys
Massachusetts shares a tourism slogan that accurately describes The Firm for Men. It’s all here—the attorneys, the knowledge, and the experience to handle your annulment. Call our offices at 757-383-9184 today. We’re located in the heart of Virginia Beach and are proud to serve all of Hampton Roads, from Norfolk to Suffolk, Chesapeake to Newport News.
