An annulment proceeding is similar to a divorce case. However, unlike a divorce case that terminates a marriage, an annulment results in a court order declaring the absence of a valid marriage in the first place, according to ExpertLaw. An annulment of a marriage results in grieving for most individuals involved in such a process, according to "Getting Past Your Breakup" by Susan J. Elliott.
Considerations
The stages of grief commonly associated with the death of a loved one can also describe the grieving process associated with annulment or divorce, according to "On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss" by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler.
Stages
The stages of grief associated with annulment include denial, a belief that the situation giving rise to an annulment will resolve. Anger is the stage at which a party to an annulment is upset with herself, her partner or other perceived elements that she blames for her situation. During the bargaining stage, a person in an annulment mentally barters, proposing tradeoffs as alternatives to the end of the relationship. Depression represents a stage at which a person involved in an annulment appears to give up, to not even take a stand regarding her rights and interests. Acceptance is the last stage of grief in an annulment case, representing a spouse who came to terms with the state of her marriage and where it is headed.
Misconceptions
A common misconception is that all individuals in an annulment grieve the same. In fact, in all grieving processes, individuals experiences the five stages in different ways and for different periods of time, according to Kubler-Ross and Kessle. These variances hold true in regard to annulment and grief.
Warning
In some cases, a person involved in an annulment is not able to overcome one of the stages of grief on his own. For example, a person may experience serious depression. In such a situation, an individual unable to effectively deal with grief must obtain professional intervention from a therapist, counselor, psychiatrist or psychologist.
Expert Assistance
An annulment represents a serious legal matter. The grief associated with an annulment can impair a person's ability to make sound decisions. For this reason, a person involved in an annulment, and dealing with the associated grief, is wise to seek experienced legal representation.
References
- "On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss"; Elisabeth Kubler-Ross & David Kessler; 2007
- "Getting Past Your Breakup"; Susan J. Elliott; 2009
- "Coming Apart: Why Relationships End and How to Live Through the Ending of Yours"; Daphne Rose Kingma; 2000
