An annulment is a lawsuit to have a court declare a marriage was invalid and the parties were never in fact married. The grounds for an annulment vary from state to state but typically include:

• the person seeking the annulment (the petitioner) was under age (18 years, for example) and did not have parental consent or a court order;

• the person seeking the annulment (the petitioner) was under the influence of drugs or alcohol and did not have the capacity to consent to the marriage;

• either party, for physical or mental reasons, was permanently impotent at the time of the marriage and the other party was not aware of the impotency;

• the other party used fraud, duress, or force to induce the petitioner to enter into the marriage;

• at the time of the marriage the petitioner did not have the mental capacity to consent to marriage or to understand the nature of the marriage ceremony because of a mental disease or defect;

• the other party was divorced from a third party within the 30-day period preceding the date of the marriage ceremony, and at the time of the marriage ceremony the petitioner did not know, and a reasonably prudent person would not have known, of the divorce; and

• the marriage ceremony took place before any waiting period (72 hours, for example) following issuance of the marriage license.

An annulment on any ground is often available only if the parties did not live together (cohabit) after the party seeking the annulment was no longer under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or learned of the facts that are the basis for the annulment sought. A marriage subject to annulment is often said to be a nullity, void, or void ab initio (void from the beginning).

The grounds for an annulment are usually found in a state’s statutes—often in the family code.

In Washington State, an annulment is referred to as a 'Declaration Concerning Validity' or invalidity of a marriage and is governed by RCW 26.09.040. The grounds for annulment in Washington are similar to those listed in the description, including lack of legal age without required consent (under 18 years old), incapacity due to drugs or alcohol, impotency that was unknown to the other party at the time of marriage, fraud, duress, force, lack of mental capacity due to mental disease or defect, and marrying within the prohibited time frame after a divorce or without observing a waiting period after obtaining a marriage license. Additionally, if one party was already legally married to someone else (bigamy), this is also a ground for annulment. It is important to note that cohabitation after the discovery of the facts that provide a basis for annulment may affect the ability to have the marriage annulled. An annulled marriage is considered void or void ab initio, as if it never legally existed. Individuals seeking an annulment are advised to consult with an attorney to understand their rights and the legal process involved.