In general, courts will only grant an annulment in highly specific circumstances. In contrast to a divorce, which has the effect of severing the legal bond between husband and wife, an annulment completely voids the marriage in the eyes of the law. This effectively means that the law treats the marriage as if it never existed. Contrary to popular belief, a newly married spouse will not be entitled to an annulment just because they file for an annulment quickly after the marriage ceremony is performed. An annulment can be granted for several reasons including misrepresentation or fraud, duress, bigamy, [...]

When a marriage relationship ends in Missouri, spouses have two different options they can pursue: legal separation and dissolution of marriage (divorce). Many people think legal separation is an easier temporary process than going through a full dissolution of marriage, but that is not exactly accurate. In fact, the two processes are virtually identical because all the same issues must be decided in either proceeding-- division of property and debts, maintenance, custody, and child support. However, there are a few important distinctions between legal separation and divorce. The main legal distinction is that after a legal separation, the parties [...]

The short answer is yes. However, it is important to first understand if you actually have a valid common-law marriage. Contrary to popular belief, only some states still allow common law marriages, and they have various requirements for what constitutes a common-law marriage. In states that still allow it, common-law marriage is a legally binding marital relationship between two people without the requirements of obtaining a marriage license and having a marriage ceremony. In general, the requirements of common law marriage are capacity to marry, an agreement to be married, and that the parties hold themselves out as husband [...]