An annulment is the court’s declaration that the marriage never existed, while divorce is the dissolution of a legal marriage. People in Washington prefer divorce over annulment because it is hard to prove annulment grounds.
To get annulment in Washington, one must prove a legal annulment ground set by the Washington annulment laws. Following are the valid Washington annulment grounds:
Consanguinity
Consanguinity is the marriages between full or half-blood relations. According to Washington annulment laws, consanguinity means getting married to a close relative like, father, mother, sister, uncle or aunt. If you have married any one of the above mentioned, you can claim annulment under Washington annulment laws.
Bigamy or Existence of a Prior Marriage
Washington annulment laws say that you can claim an annulment if your spouse was already married with someone else when s/he married you.
Fraud and Duress
According to Washington annulment laws, fraud and duress both are valid grounds for annulment. You can obtain annulment if you have been cheated or forced into a marriage.
Mental Illness
You can claim Washington annulment if your spouse is mentally ill and that illness is incurable.
Underage Marriage
If you enter into a marriage before the legal marriageable age set by Washington marriage laws, your marriage will be considered void and therefore it can be annulled under Washington annulment laws.
