How Long Does It Take to Get an Annulment?

Quick Answer

Getting an annulment takes 1–12 months for civil annulments and 12–18 months for Catholic Church annulments. Uncontested civil annulments in some states can be finalized in as little as 30 days, while contested cases or religious processes take significantly longer.

Civil Annulment Timeline

Type	Timeline	Details
Uncontested, simple grounds	1–3 months	Both parties agree; straightforward paperwork
Uncontested with property/children	3–6 months	Requires division of assets and custody arrangements
Contested annulment	6–12 months	One party disputes the annulment; may require a hearing or trial
Contested with complex issues	12–18+ months	Involves significant assets, custody disputes, or disputed grounds

Religious vs. Civil Annulment

Factor	Civil Annulment	Catholic Annulment
Timeline	1–12 months	12–18 months (average)
Granted by	State court	Diocesan tribunal
Legal effect	Declares marriage legally void	Declares marriage sacramentally invalid
Grounds	Fraud, bigamy, incapacity, underage, duress	Lack of form, consent, capacity, or intention
Cost	$200–$1,500 (court fees + attorney)	$200–$1,000 (tribunal fees, sometimes waived)
Requires other party's consent	No (but they can contest)	No (but they are contacted for testimony)

Civil Annulment Process

Step	Duration	Details
Determine eligibility	1–7 days	Verify that legal grounds for annulment exist in your state
File petition with court	1 day	Submit annulment petition and pay filing fee ($100–$500)
Serve the other party	1–4 weeks	Other spouse must be formally notified
Response period	20–30 days	Other party has a set window to respond or contest
Discovery (if contested)	1–3 months	Exchange of financial documents and evidence
Hearing or trial (if contested)	1 day (scheduled 1–6 months out)	Judge hears testimony and evidence
Judge's decision	Same day to 4 weeks	Court issues annulment decree
Waiting period (some states)	0–90 days	Some states impose a waiting period before finalization

Catholic Annulment Process

Step	Duration	Details
Initial consultation with parish priest	1–2 weeks	Discuss grounds and gather preliminary information
Prepare formal petition	2–6 weeks	Write detailed personal testimony
Submit petition to diocesan tribunal	1 day	Formal case file opened
Tribunal assigns case	2–4 weeks	Judge and defender of the bond appointed
Gather testimony	2–6 months	Witnesses and former spouse provide statements
Tribunal review	3–6 months	Judges review all evidence and testimony
First instance decision	Included above	Tribunal issues decree of nullity or denial
Mandatory appeal review	1–3 months	Second tribunal reviews the decision (simplified since 2015)
Final decree	1–2 weeks	Annulment is officially granted

Since Pope Francis reformed the process in 2015, cases with clearly established grounds can be fast-tracked by the bishop in as little as 45–90 days, though this expedited process is used in a minority of cases.

Contested vs. Uncontested Comparison

Factor	Uncontested	Contested
Timeline	1–3 months	6–18 months
Cost	$200–$800	$1,500–$5,000+
Court appearances	0–1	2–5
Attorney needed	Optional but recommended	Strongly recommended
Emotional difficulty	Lower	Higher

Grounds for Civil Annulment by State

Annulment grounds vary by state, but the most common include:

Ground	Description	Acceptance
Fraud or misrepresentation	One spouse lied about something fundamental (fertility, criminal history, identity)	All states
Bigamy	One spouse was already married	All states
Underage marriage	One or both parties were below the legal age of consent	All states
Incest	Spouses are closely related	All states
Mental incapacity	One spouse could not understand the nature of the marriage	Most states
Duress or force	One spouse was coerced into the marriage	Most states
Impotence (undisclosed)	One spouse was permanently unable to consummate the marriage	Many states
Intoxication	One or both parties were under the influence during the ceremony	Some states

Annulment vs. Divorce

Factor	Annulment	Divorce
Legal effect	Marriage declared void (as if it never existed)	Marriage legally ended
Grounds required	Specific legal grounds must be proven	No-fault available in all states
Timeline	1–12 months	2–18 months
Availability	Limited to qualifying circumstances	Available to all married couples
Property division	Varies by state	Standard equitable distribution or community property