Geneva, Illinois Annulment Attorney

Declaration of Invalidity in Kane County and DuPage County

Like most couples that exchange wedding vows, when you go into a marriage, you have the highest expectations and hopes for “happily ever after.” Unfortunately, in a growing number of unions, partners find the marriage they thought they were party to, was not the marriage they were committing to at all. In Illinois, a marriage can be dissolved by a declaration of invalidity, referred to previously as an annulment, or by divorce. A marriage must meet substantially rigorous legal criteria to be deemed invalid.

If you find yourself facing a marriage dissolution on the grounds of invalidity, or if your spouse files for a declaration of invalidity against you, you can get the help and protection you need from the experienced marriage declaration of invalidity/annulment attorneys at the The Law Offices of Douglas B. Warlick & Associates. Clients around Illinois, in Kane and DuPage Counties, retain the firm with a proven record of strong advocacy, personalized service, and a sense of compassion for declaration of invalidity cases.

Legal Criteria in Marriage Declaration of Invalidity/Annulment

A number of circumstances might lead you to seek the dissolution of your marriage rather than a divorce. Illinois’s Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/301) defines the grounds under which a marriage can be deemed invalid, specifically if it is determined that, at the time of the marriage, one party is demonstrated to have:

• Lacked the physical, psychological, or emotional capacity to have married, due to the influence of drugs or alcohol;
• Been induced or coerced by force or fraud;
• Failed to meet the legal age to marry, and married without the consent of the parent, guardian, or the courts; or
• Been legally married to another person at the time of the marriage (guilty of bigamy).

You cannot obtain a declaration of invalidity of marriage after the death of the other party to the marriage. Just as in a divorce, in some declaration of invalidity cases, the courts may have to make determinations relative to property rights of the spouses, maintenance that must be paid, child support, and child custody.

Effective Representation in Annulment Cases

The breakup of any marriage is painful and the burden of proof in a declaration of invalidity/annulment case can be quite rigorous. Further, when your marriage has to be invalidated, the matters of disposition of property and support issues, and any child-related issues, can result in serious lifestyle issues.

You face financial upheaval and unique emotional issues for all involved. Marriage dissolution cases call for the kind of skilled and knowledgeable legal representation The Law Offices of Douglas B. Warlick & Associates offers its clients. You can expect effective and affordable family law representation from our team. From our Geneva office, we can accommodate clients throughout Illinois. Contact us at 630-232-9700 for discounted rate initial consultation.