What Are the Grounds for Annulment in Oklahoma?

Going through a marriage annulment is often easier, less expensive, and less time-consuming than going through a divorce. The challenge many people face is establishing their grounds for annulment. Learning about the grounds for annulment specific to the state of Oklahoma can help. Feel free to discuss your situation with an Oklahoma City divorce attorney who can guide you.

Grounds for Annulment in Oklahoma

The grounds for annulment in Oklahoma include four options. These grounds for annulment center around whether a spouse was ineligible for the marriage. This could mean the spouse was under the age of 18, mentally incompetent, or married to someone else at the time. Someone married to someone else cannot enter a new marriage until a legal separation occurs.

Using the mentally incompetent grounds for an annulment requires proving the spouse is or was mentally incompetent. This means proving the spouse was mentally incompetent at the time the marriage occurred. Proving this could mean expert testimonies, evaluations of competence, and psychological medical records.

The fourth ground for annulment applies if a spouse was previously married within the past six months. In other words, a person could seek an annulment in Oklahoma if their divorce was less than six months ago. Other than these four common grounds for annulment, there are two other possibilities.

A marriage that has failed to be consummated could qualify for an annulment. So can marriages that involved fraud or deception. Any spouse who is deceived into a marriage is eligible for seeking an annulment. The state of Oklahoma does not force parties to remain married if one party was tricked into the marriage. Proving this may mean showing fraudulent documents.

Residency Requirements for Marriage Annulment

Once you have your grounds for annulment, you also need to meet the annulment residency requirements. The Oklahoma annulment residency requirements state that one of the spouses must be an Oklahoma resident. If this condition is not met, then you might be able to request annulment if the marriage itself was conducted in Oklahoma.

Specifically, either spouse must have been a resident in the state of Oklahoma for at least six months. This means six months before the petition for annulment is being filed. Military service members who were stationed in an army post or military reservation in Oklahoma may also file for annulment.

Within the county you are filing your petition for annulment, you must have been a resident in that county for over 30 days. Either spouse can fit these criteria and file the petition. Some of this can be confusing. If you are unsure, consider contacting an Oklahoma City divorce lawyer who can help. A lawyer might be able to speed up the process.

Divorce Lawyer in Oklahoma City

Do not give up if you are experiencing obstacles during your annulment. Do not hesitate to ask an Oklahoma family attorney for help if you have questions about your marriage annulment. Call the Putnam Law Office today at (405)-849-9149 for a consultation about your case. Mr. Putnam is a dedicated lawyer in Oklahoma City, OK who can work with you to assess and figure out your realistic legal options.