What Are Illinois’ Annulment and Prohibited Marriage Laws?

 Posted on September 21, 2020 in Family Law

Illinois Family Law extends beyond divorce to encompass both annulment and prohibited marriage. Depending on the circumstances of your marriage, these laws may apply to you instead of general Illinois divorce laws. Even if you know what laws apply to you, family law is a complicated subject, so you should ease the stress of separation by finding highly qualified legal representation from a family law attorney in your area.

750 ILCS - Marriage Invalidation

In Illinois, family law does not include the term ‘annulment’ any longer. Instead, you will see and hear that marriages are ‘invalidated.’ If you or your spouse wishes to annul your marriage, one of you must submit a declaration of invalidity. To successfully invalidate your marriage, you must prove that:

• A party, due to mental incapacity or because of the influence of drugs, lacked the capacity to consent and was forced into marriage by fraud

• A party does not have the physical capacity to consummate the marriage by sexual intercourse and the other party was not aware of this

• A party lacked approval from a parent, guardian, or judicial approval and he or she was 16 or 17 years old

• The marriage is prohibited  

The petitioner must also request that his or her marriage be declared invalid within 90 days after learning of any of the conditions described above. The party does not have to directly claim that the marriage is invalid. Instead, his or her legal representation can claim it instead. 

The fourth condition that would invalidate a marriage, that the marriage in question is prohibited, applies to several situations:

• Any marriage entered into while a party was still part of a legal relationship such as an earlier marriage or civil union

• Any marriage between family, whether “the relationship is by the half or the whole blood or by adoption”

• Marriages between uncles/nieces and aunts/nephews 

• Marriages between first cousins

However, marriage between first cousins is not prohibited if both parties are 50 years old or older, or if one party files a certificate stating that he or she is “irreversibly sterile.”

Contact a Plainfield, IL Family Law Attorney

Family law cases involving marriage invalidation can produce a considerable amount of conflict depending on the circumstances. To help prevent feeling overwhelmed and to pursue an outcome that is favorable to you, reach out to a Will County family law and divorce lawyer at The Law Offices of Tedone & Morton, P.C. We will put our experience representing clients in all manner of Illinois law to provide you with thorough and empathetic representation. To schedule your free consultation and learn more, call our Joliet office today at 815-666-1285 or our Plainfield office at 815-733-5350.

Sources:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?ActID=2086&ChapterID=59&SeqStart=3000000&SeqEnd=3700000

https://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=075000050HPt%2E+II&ActID=2086&ChapterID=59&SeqStart=900000&SeqEnd=3000000