Anulment in Tennessee The purpose of an Annulment proceeding is to obtain a judicial order that states that no valid marriage ever occurred between the parties. The nature of the validity is important and is characterized as either void or voidable. A voidable marriage differs from a void marriage in that a voidable marriage is treated as valid and binding until it is declared null and void by a competent court. A voidable marriage my be ratified by the parties, a void marriage may not be ratified. In either event the nullity of the marriage must be declared by a court. A marriage is void when: (1) either party was already lawfully married (2) the parties are within prohibited degrees of kinship (Unlike Oedipus, you can't marry or have sex with your natural parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, stepparent, stepchild, adoptive parent, adoptive child, brother, half brother sister, half sister, adopted brother, or adopted sister. If you do, and people have, it is called incest, a Class C felony.) (3) for any other reason, the marriage was prohibited by law, and its continuance is in violation of law A marriage is voidable when: (1) either party was insane (2) the complainant was under duress (3) a party was under the age of consent (4) the consent was obtained by force, or fraud, and was given by mistake (5) the defendant was impotent (6) the woman was pregnant by another man without the knowledge of the complainant (7) for any other reason, the marriage was not binding on the complainant The annulment of a marriage does not affect legitimacy of the children. In an action for annulment the law presumes that the marriage was valid and the plaintiff has a heavy burden of proof to show that it was invalid. If you were receiving alimony and getting married stopped the alimony, you can't go back and start the alimony again; yes women have actually tried this.