Understanding a Religious Annulment in Texas

Posted By Menduni Martindill || 27-Aug-2012

Filing for an annulment is the process for which a person or couple seeks to have their marriage made null and void, as if it never existed. This is very different from a divorce which by law declares that a couple is no longer together, though they will forever be a divorced couple. The act of an annulment keeps their records clear, as though a marriage never occurred. There are many reasons for which people chose to have their marriage annulled, religious purposes being one of the more common ones. It is important to understand there are differences between civil and religious annulments, though with the help of a divorce attorney you will have a thorough understanding of the process.

Religious annulments are most commonly done for those within the Catholic Church, usually when an individual hopes to remarry within the church. Where a civil annulment is accomplished in the court system, because it is a legal declaration that the marriage is void; a religious annulment is done on behalf of the church and has no actual legal standing ground. The majority of annulments granted by the Catholic Church are done in the U.S. and they require that the individuals have a legal civil divorce before proceeding with the religious annulment. This religious process is done as a way to allow people to remarry within the church.

Even though the religious annulment process is not a legal matter, it does not declare the children as illegitimate nor does it keep the parents from participating in the care and support of the children from their previous marriage. One requirement of the Catholic Church is that that those they approve for a religious annulment who have children from a previous marriage are required to be financially committed to support their children on a regular basis. If you or someone you know is considering a divorce or an annulment, contact Menduni Martindill for a divorce attorney who can walk you through the process.