By FindLaw Staff | Legally reviewed by Nicole Prebeck, Esq. | Last reviewed January 26, 2023
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Each state has different laws concerning what types of marriage are prohibited. Each state also has its own laws concerning the grounds upon which someone can pursue a civil annulment.
Continue reading for a break down of laws related to prohibited marriages and civil annulments in Connecticut.
Laws in each state dictate what types of marriage are prohibited. They include restrictions on who can get married. Civil annulment is the legal process of invalidating a marriage. It is different from divorce. Civil annulments in Connecticut can be sought on a variety of grounds. Examples of such reasons are bigamy and incestuous marriages. Bigamy is defined as being married to more than one person. Incestuous marriages are marriages between closely related family members.
The following chart highlights some of the main provisions of Connecticut's Family Law Code. The chart shows laws related to civil annulments and prohibited marriages. See FindLaw's Marriage Law Overview section for additional articles and resources.
| Prohibited Marriages |
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| Grounds for Annulment |
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| Time Limits for Obtaining Annulment | No state law explicitly address a time limit for pursuing a civil annulment. |
| Legitimacy of Children | Under common law, children of void marriages are considered legitimate. |
In Connecticut, same-sex marriages have been permitted since 2008. In that year, in a case called Kerrigan v Commissioner of Public Health, the Supreme Court of Connecticut ruled that same-sex marriages are legal. The Supreme Court of the state recognized that legalizing same-sex marriage is necessary under Connecticut's State Constitution to protect each citizen's right to equal protection of the law. This decision made Connecticut the third state at the time to issue marriage licenses to same-sex partners who wished to marry. The U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges also applied similar theories to find that denial of same-sex marriages in any state constitutes a violation of of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection clause.
Ending a marriage can be a difficult decision, especially if you are wondering if your marriage was legal to begin with. You can find more introductory information about this topic by visiting FindLaw's sections on annulment and divorce. If you would like legal assistance with your case, you can contact an experienced Connecticut divorce attorney in your area to schedule a consultation.
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