In certain circumstances, a marriage can be ended through an annulment rather than a divorce. A clear set of factors have to be in place to obtain a marriage annulment. Even if you meet the requirements, your financial, business, and childcare arrangements will still need to be finalised.

Unlike divorce, you can get a marriage annulment at any time after a wedding. However, cases aren’t always straightforward, and you may have to go to court to give evidence. Annulments normally take 10 to 12 months to complete, but they may take longer if contested.

If you need help planning or agreeing an annulment, our solicitors can help. Our legal teams are experts at dealing with a wide range of family law issues, and our annulment lawyers understand that establishing both parties’ positions early is vital to understanding if annulment is an option.

Our lawyers understand that annulments often come about in unusual circumstances. We'll work to understand your case and advise you on the best options available to you. You'll need to go to court to get an annulment, but this is nothing to worry about and we'll be by your side at every step of the process.

If you'd like to talk to an expert about getting a marriage annulment, contact us today.

Why choose Irwin Mitchell’s marriage annulment lawyers?

Our specialist team of family law experts have decades of experience in successfully handling marriage annulment cases.

Recently, we acquired Silk Family Law, a leading firm of specialist family lawyers. Their expertise now forms part of our family law team, giving us an added dimension of invaluable legal knowledge and experience.

Thanks to our many decades of experience in handling annulment cases, we understand this can be an emotional and uncertain time for you. We offer an in-house counselling service, run by Vicky Lambert, and can offer you up to four free sessions. These sessions can be used at any point during the process, and you’ve the option to pay for further sessions if you feel you need them.

We’ve offices located across the UK, meaning you can visit us at a convenient location for a private chat with your lawyer. We work in a flexible way that’s best suited to our clients’ needs, so we can also arrange phone or video calls if you’d rather work in this way.

With the ending of a marriage comes other complications that may need help from other areas of our firm. If needed, we can also connect you with other legal experts, including:

  • Divorce lawyers – If your marriage can’t be annulled, our lawyers can represent you in the divorce process. We offer a range of services, including high-net-worth divorce, out-of-court divorce, divorces with an international element, and specialists in Islamic or Jewish divorce.
  • Wills – If you need to update your Will after the annulment of your marriage, our specialist Wills solicitors will be on hand.

Mediation support service

If you’re ending your marriage, it's understandable that the process may be emotionally challenging for you and your ex-partner. We offer a mediation service, which gives you both the chance to resolve any issues with a neutral and empathic mediator.

Mediation is a less confrontational and often more cost-effective method of negotiating disputes. We offer a free 30-minute consultation with one of our solicitors, who’ll advise if they believe mediation would be beneficial for you.

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Clare Wiseman
Clare Wiseman Head of Family Law Meet the team

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More information on marriage annulment

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between an annulment and a divorce?

An annulment is when a marriage is declared void while a divorce ends what was a valid marriage.

Annulments may be sought if there are religious reasons for not wanting a divorce. For instance, Catholics may choose to annul their marriage given this faith's stance on divorce. Our Religious and Cultural Team of Excellence can support in providing advice where this is relevant to the annulment.

Another key difference in annulment vs divorce is around when either measure can be completed. Marriages can be annulled at any time following the wedding. In a divorce, partners have to wait for a minimum of a year before they can start the divorce process.

You'll also have to make a court appearance for an annulment, whereas this usually isn't necessary in a divorce. This is because you can apply for a divorce if you declare that your marriage has irretrievably broken down; you do not need to prove this to the court. If you are seeking an annulment, you will need to prove certain facts to the court with evidence.

In some cases, annulments will only be granted within a certain time limit. So, you should seek assistance from our specialist family law team as soon as possible.

How long does an annulment take?

If both partners agree to the annulment, the process typically takes between 10 to 12 months because the court does not have an automated system for dealing with annulments. This time period will likely be longer if there is a dispute and/or if there are international elements.

To get an annulment:

  • You need to complete a nullity petition for which there’s a court fee of £612 (court fees are subject to change)
  • You need to make a Statement in Support for an application for a decree nisi/conditional order. Medical evidence may be needed
  • Six weeks and one day from the decree nisi, you can apply for a Decree of Nullity.

A lot depends on whether there is agreement. If one partner objects to the annulment, the process will take longer as lawyers will need to source and provide extra evidence in court.

Can Irwin Mitchell help me annul my marriage if I live in Scotland?

Yes, we can help you if you live in Scotland and are looking to annul your marriage.

We work with several trusted partners who’ll be able to help our clients in Scotland. Our family law team will be your main point of contact during the process, giving you frequent updates and ensuring you’re happy with all decisions.

Contact us today to discuss your situation and we’ll be able to give you guidance on who can handle your annulment case in Scotland.

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