What to know about ending a marriage

Individuals in Louisiana and elsewhere who are seeking to end their marriages may be able to do so with a divorce or an annulment. A divorce allows a person to dissolve a valid marriage while an annulment is a declaration that a union wasn’t valid. It is important to note that an individual can obtain both a religious annulment and a legal annulment. However, obtaining a religious annulment doesn’t necessarily mean that a marriage is legally dissolved.

An annulment may be granted if the parties to the relationship were misled into getting married. A marriage may also be declared null and void if either party was already married when a union became official. It is important to note that the length of the marriage is generally not a factor when deciding if a union should be declared invalid. However, some states will refuse to annul a marriage after a certain amount of time has passed.

A key difference between a divorce and an annulment is the responsibility that former spouses have to each other. If a couple ends a legal marriage, they will generally split assets accrued while they were together. Furthermore, an individual may obtain spousal support in a divorce settlement. When a marriage is annulled, the parties to the relationship generally go back to the financial condition that they were in before the union took place.

Individuals who have questions about how they should end their marriages may benefit from consulting with family law professionals. A legal representative may be able to review a case to determine if a union can be ended through an annulment or if it is necessary to pursue a divorce. If an individual must pursue a divorce, an attorney may help that person negotiate a favorable and timely settlement.