What are the reasons that may be used in applying for a declaration of invalidity?
There are a number of reasons that interfere with two people properly consenting to a marriage or being able to live out the expectations of marriage. Often, these inabilities are inherent in the background or personality of one or both of the parties. At other times, circumstances surrounding the wedding may have interfered with the person’s clear understanding of what marriage entailed. Certain elements of Church law apply to a marriage. These include the free will exchange of consent before a person properly authorized to witness that consent. If this consent was improperly exchanged or exchanged before a person not properly able to witness the exchange, the marriage is null. The Tribunal examines those factors present at the time of the wedding and during the relationship in order to make a determination of the specific reasons, or grounds, that will be questioned.
