Annulment vs. Divorce
Marriage is a sacred bond between two people. The tenderness of a married couple is often love and trust. Whatever the reason you are married, you can end the legal relationship, as long it is valid.
You must first understand the difference between an annulment and a divorce. They are two different methods of ending a legal relationship. Every state is different in how the court proceeding takes place. There are plenty of similarities in each state involving the procedures. Be sure to check with your state legal system to find their correct method to ending a marriage.
Annulment benefits –
An annulment is saying the marriage never existed. This is similar to a divorce. The proceedings have specific grounds as well. If there were children involved in a marriage that was annulled, sometimes those children are not legitimate of the marriage.
In annulment, spouses are often not entitled to receive alimony payments. Why? The legal proceeding states the marriage never existed, which prevents the ex-spouse to put claim on any of the money. This will depend on the state you are currently residing in.
Divorce benefits –
A divorce is a court proceeding dissolving the marriage. It just basically states the couple is no longer married to each other. Divorce falls into two categories. They are no-fault and fault divorces. Both categories have their own grounds for filing.
No-fault divorce – A no-fault divorce doesn’t require either spouse to provide proof as to why they want to end the marriage. The grounds for a no-fault are living separately, irreconcilable differences and incompatibility. These are just a few.
Fault divorce – A fault divorce requires the spouse or spouses to provide proof to the filing for a divorce. The grounds to file are usually adultery and cruelty. Adultery is often the No. 1 reason couples file. Those are not the only two reasons in a fault divorce.
The filing of a divorce or an annulment is your decision to make. But an attorney will give you his or her insight as to which filing would be best for your situation. You can either agree or disagree with them. Lawyers do not always have your best interest in mind, so do what is right for you. Do your homework when and before filing for a divorce proceeding. Your soon to be ex-spouse may have tricks up their sleeves and may use them against you. Anything is possible.