Annulment
Annulment
Annulment (/əˈnʌlmənt/) is a legal procedure within secular and religious legal systems for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place.
Etymology
The term "annulment" is derived from the Latin word "annullare" which means "to make null".
Related Terms
- Divorce: The legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body.
- Nullity (law): A legal term that refers to the invalidity or nullification of a legal action.
- Void (law): A term used in law to declare something legally invalid.
- Marriage: A legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship.
Legal Aspects
In legal terms, an annulment makes a void or voidable marriage. A void marriage is one that was invalid from its very beginning and, therefore, could never lawfully exist in any way. A voidable marriage is one that can be declared illegal but that continues as valid until an annulment is sought.
Religious Aspects
In the Roman Catholic Church, a declaration of nullity, commonly called an annulment, is a judgement on the part of an ecclesiastical tribunal determining that a marriage was invalidly contracted or, less frequently, a judgement determining that ordination was invalidly conferred.
See Also
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