How to Get an Annulment in Colorado

There are different ways to end a marriage in Colorado. Most people are familiar with the concept of divorce, but not as many people are aware that you can also get an annulment in certain circumstances. In fact, an annulment may be the appropriate route to take depending on the circumstances of your marriage. Make an informed decision when it comes to this life-changing event and consider if the other person is available and aware of the circumstances and what you wish to do, as well as the financial costs that come with an annulment. You can explore what it means to get an annulment in Colorado and how DoNotPay can help make it a reality for you if necessary.

Annulment Versus Divorce

Before you get too far, it is best to discuss what the difference is between an annulment and a divorce. There are legal specifications that must be recognized in these situations. In Colorado, you may need an annulment if:

You entered a marriage when you or your spouse was underage
You find out that you are a blood relative of your spouse
You were intoxicated at the time that you entered your marriage
Your spouse was already married to another person when they married you
You were under any form of duress when you entered the marriage

These are marriages that were illegal from the start and never should have happened. As a result, the state will allow you to get an annulment of the marriage to spare yourself from ever having that marriage appear on any record anywhere in the state. After all, you don't want to find yourself in a position where you have a mistake show up on a public record somewhere.

Annulment in Colorado is slightly different than in other states. Where most state codes classify annulment as it is, in Colorado, it is called, “Declaration of Invalidity” and is governed by the following:

State Code for Declaration of Invalidity (or, Annulments)	2016 Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 - Domestic Matters Dissolution of Marriage - Parental Responsibilities Article 10 - Uniform Dissolution of Marriage Act § 14-10-111.
Legal Grounds	C.R.S. 14-10-111(1) outlines the specific legal grounds for seeking a declaration of invalidity, including, but not limited to: One of the spouses lacked the mental capacity at the time of the marriage One of the spouses lacked the ability to consummate the marriage while the other spouse was not made aware at the time of the marriage. One of the spouses was underaged and no consent was given by the parents or guardians, or a family law court in Colorado to proceed to marry (consent must be given for persons under 16 years of age, in Colorado). One of the spouses entered into the marriage genuinely and wholly believing in the other who was acting fraudulently, which is undergoes the “essence of the marriage” test (which outlines the fundamental components or matters essential to marriage). One or both spouses entered into the marriage under a state of duress. One or both spouses entered into the marriage in jest or on a dare. The marriage is automatically void due to bigamy, polygamy, incest, or any other reason upheld by the local and state laws (in the county or place where it was entered into).
Statutes of Limitations	Declaration of invalidity (or annulment) may be requested by the aggrieved party (or spouse) within the following time frames: Within six months of learning the cause for annulment, for for lack of consent, duress, in jest or a dare, and fraud. Within 12 months for lack of ability to consummate the marriage. The aggrieved spouse may apply for declaration of invalidity for void marriage at any time before the death of the other spouse, or the before the final settlement of hers/his estate. Please note that once your Declaration of Invalidity has been granted by the court, the state code C.R.S. 14-10-111(5), states that "Marriages declared invalid under this section shall be so declared as of the date of the marriage."
Other Requirements for the Aggrieved Party	You must have lived in the state of Colorado for 30 days before you may apply for Declaration of Invalidity. You must file for your request for Declaration of Invalidity at the District Court in the county where your spouse lives.

A divorce is a different animal. This is when the two people who are married no longer want to be married to one another. In that case, they would seek a divorce. A divorce may be sought because of:

Infidelity
Financial issues
Differences that cannot be reconciled
Abuse

There are a handful of other reasons why a divorce may occur as well, and it needs to remain as an option that is open to those who need to get out of the marriage that they are in. The state realizes that some marriages just don't work out for people, and they leave the door open for people who just need to get out of the marriage that they found themselves happily in at one point in time. Sometimes things change, and people need to adapt to new circumstances when that happens, and there is nothing wrong with that.

What Can DoNotPay Do To Help You With an Annulment?

DoNotPay knows that going through the process of getting an annulment is not how anyone would like to spend their time. They understand how stressful it can be for people, and they want to provide support to those individuals. Therefore, they have come up with a program that anyone can follow to get the ball rolling on getting an annulment process started. The program works like this:

It only takes 3 steps:

Search for Annulment on the DoNotPay website.
Kick-off the process to see if your marriage is eligible for an annulment.
Answer some specific questions about your marriage and see if your state law allows for an annulment.

Three simple steps and you are that much closer to getting your annulment approved through the state of Colorado. It is something that you can knock off your list of things to do, and you can finally start to think about how your future is going to play out. There is no doubt that things will be challenging for a while as you try to figure out how to navigate the new world that you have entered, but it is also something that provides you with the opportunity for a fresh start to appreciate.

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