Generally: An “annulment” is the popular name for what Washington law officially calls a “Declaration Concerning Validity” of marriage. It is a way for the courts to cancel a marriage if they find that one of the requirements of a legal marriage was not actually present at the time the couple was married.

Where to Start: The laws concerning validity of marriage are found in the Revised Code of Washington at RCW § 26.09.040(4)(b). The statute says who can ask the court for a declaration of invalidity (annulment) and for what reasons the court can grant a declaration of invalidity (annulment).

Helpful Resources:

King County Family Law Facilitators The King County Family Law Facilitators have three different sets of instructions for declarations of invalidity: contested invalidity (instruction #111), agreed invalidity (instruction # 112), and invalidity by default in ex parte (instruction #113). These forms are not on the Internet. If you live in another county, start by contacting the family law facilitators at your local county courthouse.

Washington Family Law Deskbook, 2d ed., § 10.7 ( KF 505.Z99 W36 2000 v.1 RES)
The Washington Family Law Deskbook is an encyclopedia of family law and practice in Washington. The section on declarations of invalidity (annulments) is very brief.

Washington Practice, volume 21, chapter 48 (KFW 80.W3)
Washington Practice is a treatise on Washington law. The section on validity or invalidity of a marriage is more comprehensive than the Washington Family Law Deskbook.

Forms:

Washington Law Help The Washington Law Help website has Washington State’s mandatory domestic relations forms. These forms can be filled out online if you have Microsoft Word installed on your computer. However, there are no instructions for annulments.

Washington State Courts The web site for the Washington State Courts has all of Washington’s mandatory domestic relations forms, including the forms to annul a marriage (declare a marriage invalid). However, there are no instructions with the forms.