How to Get an Annulment in Connecticut

Overview of Connecticut annulment procedure

Connecticut law permits the annulment of a marriage in a narrow set of circumstances. Annulment differs from divorce because in annulment proceedings the court decrees that no valid marriage ever existed. A divorce terminates what otherwise was a legally valid marriage. Annulment proceedings in Connecticut commence with the filing of a complaint for annulment by one of the alleged spouses. With the filing of a complaint for annulment, the superior court gains jurisdiction to rule on the validity of the marriage and to deal with any other issues arising out of the relationship, including child custody and property division.

Things You'll Need

• Complaint for annulment

Instructions

1. Obtain a form complaint for annulment from the clerk of the superior court in the county where at least one of the alleged spouses resides. Superior court clerks typically maintain standard forms of documents commonly used in court proceedings. The complaint for annulment also is known as Form 504.5 and is available through the Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Libraries.

2. Complete the complaint for annulment. Beyond including basic information about both alleged spouses (name and current address), the complaint lists the specific grounds for annulment. Connecticut law permits annulment in cases of a bigamous marriage, incompetence and fraud. Other statutory grounds for annulment include affinity (marrying a close blood relative) and concealment of significant facts (for example, the presence of a sexually transmitted disease).

3. File the completed complaint for annulment with the superior court clerk.

4. Request the superior court clerk to direct the sheriff to serve the complaint for annulment on your alleged spouse.

5. Schedule a hearing date on the complaint for annulment.

6. Appear at the hearing date. If your spouse concurs with the requested annulment, and there are no children born during the alleged marriage or other issues for the court's consideration, the judge can grant the annulment based on the grounds alleged in the complaint. If there Connecticut divorce law governs matters of child custody, visitation and support as well as issues pertaining to property division and debt allocation in annulment proceedings.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider retaining the services of an experienced attorney to represent you in an annulment case. The Connecticut Bar Association maintains a directory of attorneys in different practice areas. Contact the Connecticut Bar Association at:

• Connecticut Bar Association

• 30 Bank St.

• New Britain CT 06050-0350

• 860-223-4400

• ctbar.org

References

• Connecticut Judicial Branch--Law Libraries: Connecticut Law About Annulment
• Connecticut Office of Legislative Review: Grounds for Legal Annulment
• Connecticut Judicial Branch: Annulments of Marriages and Civil Unions

Resources

• Connecticut Annulment of Marriage
• Connecticut Bar Association