Opinion ID: 2376581
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: annulment of marriage

Text: Following a hearing on the merits, the trial judge issued a judgment of annulment, wherein he ruled that the marriage between the parties    was void ab initio and that the Plaintiff [appellee] is entitled to a judgment of this Court declaring the nullity of said marriage. Clearly a marriage contracted by a person who has been adjudged mentally incompetent is illegal under the provisions of § 30-103 D.C.Code, 1967, [1] but such a marriage is void only from the time when [its] nullity shall be declared. The trial judge erred, therefore, in holding the marriage void ab initio. He further erred in awarding the judgment of annulment to appellee. Appellant's counterclaim sought the annulment based upon his mental incompetence, which rendered the marriage voidable. Appellee, who admittedly knew of appellant's commitment at the time of the marriage was not entitled to an annulment. § 30-104 D.C.Code, 1967, [2] limits the remedy of annulment to the party whose consent was impaired when the other party, having full capacity, knew of the impairment. Sears v. Sears, 110 U.S.App.D.C. 407, 409, 293 F.2d 884, 886 (1961). The annulment should, therefore, have been granted to appellant.