In California, courts can annul marriages when one spouse couldn’t have consented to the marriage at the time of the wedding. For example, if one spouse was underage or was forced to marry, the judge will declare the marriage void. Courts can also annul marriages when one spouse couldn’t have consented due to being unable to understand the nature of marriage. If a spouse suffering from mental health issues at the time of the marriage recovers, however, and continues to freely live with the other spouse, a judge can’t annul the marriage.
Similarly, a court may annul a marriage if one spouse was too intoxicated by drugs or alcohol at the time of the wedding to understand he or she was getting married, unless the couple voluntarily lives together after the intoxicated spouse sobers up.
