What Is The Difference Between A Religious Annulment And A Civil Annulment?

A: There are a number of very important differences between a civil annulment and a religious annulment. A civil annulment in Washington State legally dissolves a marriage – almost as if it had never happened. Civil annulments are rarely granted, and when they are, it is often within a year of the marriage and for very specific reasons. A religious annulment also voids a marriage, but it does not have any legal repercussions. Religious annulments are most common in the Roman Catholic Church, which requires couples to attain a civil divorce before they grant annulments. Roman Catholic annulments require that the couple prove there was a problem with consent before the marriage took place.