You can seek the civil annulment of a marriage in limited situations based on a limited number of justifiable reasons in all 50 states. The concept of annulment differs from divorce--rather than terminating a valid marriage, an annulment order declares that no valid marriage existed in the first place, according to ExpertLaw.
Fraud
A common allegation in an annulment case is fraud in the inducement of the marriage, according to ExpertLaw. Fraud means that an individual deceived another person in some manner to wed. For example, a person might convey that she not only desires to have children but physically is able to conceive when she knows full well she lacks that capacity.
Capacity
A reason to seek an annulment rests in a party to an alleged marriage not having capacity to enter into such a union in the first place, according to ExpertLaw. There are two common instances in which an annulment is granted based on a contention that a party lacked capacity to wed: if a minor was married in violation of the laws of the state in which the wedding ceremony occurred; and if an individual lacked mental capacity to wed.
Threats
A person cannot be forced to marry. If an individual coerces another to wed through threats of violence or any other type of harm, the resulting alleged marriage can be annulled, according to the American Bar Association Section of Family Law. Additionally, if a third party forces two individuals to marry, the end result is an invalid marriage subject to annulment. An example of such a situation is the parents of forcing marriage because the female of the pair is pregnant.
Biological Relationship
A couple closely related by blood cannot enter into a valid marriage, according to DivorceNet.com. The definition of what constitutes "too close" of a relationship is determined by individual state laws. Examples of such prohibited relationships include brothers and sisters, as well as first cousins. A purported marriage of this nature can be annulled.
