My marriage broke down from being pressured into an abortion from my husband.  Is this grounds for an annulment?

My understanding of marriage law is that a marriage cannot be annuled once it has been consumated. An abortion would indicate that it had been consumated.  I think divorce is likely the only way you have out.

There are two types of Marital Annulments.
"Civil" Annulements or "Religious" Annulments. 
A Divorce decree legally terminates and dissolves a valid legal marriage.
Civil Annulment otoh, is a decree that a marriage was never void to begin with as long as the grounds to obtain one are all met under the law.

As to the religious annulment, that is used by the Catholic Christian denomintion mostly albeit I've never really heard any other Christian denomination make use of religious annulments but I'm sure it's possible.  A Catholic person married via the Catholic church and later divorces would only seek a "religious" annulment through the church in order to be able to marry a 2nd time through the Catholic church once again.  However said person does not have to also obtain a "civil" annulment in order to remarry within the church.

A "religious" annulment one does not cancel out either a "civil" annulment or divorce and vice-versa.  They are separate processes and civil of course is regulated through each of the 50 States in the U.S.
Neither does a religious annulment legitimately terminate a marriage or religious and civil marriages as that is only something a divorce can legally do whereas a civil annulment does terminate a marriage as being legally void as long as the critieria as been met.
One can obtain both a "civil" divorce as well as a "religious" annulment as long as the grounds/requirements for both cases are met.  Religious annulments are not legally binding to either spouses nor does it have any legal authority as well.

Here are a few links with more details.
www.divorcenet.com/resources/divorce/ann...

www.yourlegalguide.com/divorce/

www.infoline.org/InformationLibrary/Docu...

Now with that being said, this thread's topic is not about the abortion "debate" itself at all but instead it's about the specifics regarding either a "religious" or perhaps even a "civil" annulment and that's not a topic for this forum board.

After having a look around Bnet to see what other Forum board this thread is better suited for, this thread will then be moved along with a posted notice.
Until then, please feel free to contribute to this thread regarding Martial Annulments.

Tks,
MSara
Bnet Community Host
ADB Co-Host

Nov 5, 2010 -- 6:08PM, Musicalcat wrote:

I did not see a thread to post this on thus my post to this subject board.  I was talking about the Catholic church annulment.  I just joined so I thought I was talking with Catholics and that the topic of abortion was in regards to that church.  You can delete my post.  Thanks

More than Catholics here.  I myself am pagan. This is a multifaith board.  Want to talk just to Catholics, then go to the Catholic board.

It is my understanding that an annulment can be granted by the Church if the marriage was not valid to begin with, and there are several scenarios that would make a marriage invalid.  Because being open to any children that result from that marriage is one of the tenets, I would think that being married to a man who did not want a child to the point of coercing you to abort, would be grounds for an annulment.  But I would suggest that you talk with a Priest.

Justme