The marital status of the parties is only incidentally involved. Failure to support. An action for annulment is based on matters that existed before the marriage that prevented a valid marriage contract from being formed. Insanity, feeble-mindedness or senility that prevented one party from having the requisite mental state to enter into a marriage contract. Fraud, such as a woman inducing a man to marry her because he is allegedly the father of her unborn child, when in fact he is not.
Annulments are rare in Missouri.
If an annulment is granted it is as if the parties were never married. All children born of the marriage are considered legitimate for all legal purposes even if that marriage is formally annulled by a court decree. Proceedings After Judgment . The court retains jurisdiction over the children and upon a showing of good cause may change custody of the children from one parent to another or to a third party. The court also retains jurisdiction over the amount of child support to be paid and upon a finding of changed circumstances may change the amounts.