Fort Lauderdale Annulment Lawyer

Because Florida is a no-fault divorce state, a divorce can be granted for any reason. There are some instances where, if it can be shown that a marriage was a sham or never valid in the first place, the court may grant an annulment. The situations where an annulment may be granted specifically are cases that involve:

• Shotgun wedding – Being forced into a marriage or marriage under duress, such as a so-called shotgun wedding or under the threat of violence.
• Bigamy – where one spouse is already legally married to another person and no divorce has been granted.
• Incest – Marriage between blood relatives is considered void.
• Non-Consensual Marriage – Where one spouse is under the legal age of consent. Often a situation involving a mail-order bride can also be shown to be non-consensual and fraudulent in nature.

Annulments are only granted to the person who is innocent in a situation such as those listed above. In such a case, the innocent party may be eligible for reimbursement for attorney’s fees and other related costs even though in the eyes of the law, the marriage was invalid and never existed. This can be a far more beneficial arrangement than a traditional divorce.