What is the difference between annulment and divorce proceedings?
An annulment proceeding is instituted for the purpose of determining by a judicial ruling that a valid marriage never took place due to some defect that existed at the time that the parties were married. By contrast, a divorce proceeding is instituted in order to terminate a valid marriage for reasons that occurred after the marriage was entered into. Pennsylvania recognizes both annulment and divorce proceedings. What is “no fault” divorce? In the past, divorce generally had only been granted on the basis of marital misconduct called “fault.” The grounds for showing fault included cruelty (inflicting emotional or physical pain), adultery, desertion for a specified length of time, confinement in prison for a set number of years, or the physical inability to engage in sexual intercourse, if it was not disclosed before marriage. In a “no fault” divorce, instead of having to show fault, couples need only show “incompatibility,” “irreconcilable differences,” or “irremediable breakdown of t
