767.313 Annulment.
(1) Grounds; when suit may be brought. A court may annul a marriage upon any of the following grounds:
(a) A party lacked capacity to consent to the marriage at the time the marriage was solemnized, either because of age, because of mental incapacity or infirmity or because of the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other incapacitating substances, or a party was induced to enter into a marriage by force or duress, or by fraud involving the essentials of marriage. Suit may be brought by either party, or by the legal representative of a party lacking the capacity to consent, no later than one year after the petitioner obtained knowledge of the described condition.
(b) A party lacks the physical capacity to consummate the marriage by sexual intercourse, and at the time the marriage was solemnized the other party did not know of the incapacity. Suit may be brought by either party no later than one year after the petitioner obtained knowledge of the incapacity.
(c) A party was 16 or 17 years of age and did not have the consent of his or her parent or guardian or judicial approval, or a party was under 16 years of age. Suit may be brought by the underaged party or a parent or guardian at any time prior to the party's attaining the age of 18 years, but a parent or guardian must bring suit within one year of obtaining knowledge of the marriage.
(d) The marriage is prohibited by the laws of this state. Suit may be brought by either party within 10 years of the marriage, except that the 10-year limitation shall not apply where the marriage is prohibited because either party has another spouse living at the time of the marriage and the impediment has not been removed under s. 765.24.
(2) Judicial proceeding required; no annulment after death. A judicial proceeding is required to annul a marriage. A marriage may not be annulled after the death of a party to the marriage.
History: 1977 c. 105; 1979 c. 32 ss. 50, 92 (2); Stats. 1979 s. 767.03; 2005 a. 443 ss. 22, 23, 145; Stats. 2005 s. 767.313.
NOTE: 2005 Wis. Act 443 contains explanatory notes.
A remarriage, although unlawful in Wisconsin and dissolved through an annulment, is sufficient to terminate maintenance under s. 767.32 (3) [now s. 767.59 (2)]. The requirement that maintenance be terminated following remarriage is unconditional. Falk v. Falk, 158 Wis. 2d 184, 462 N.W.2d 547 (Ct. App. 1990).
Although a marriage may be “void," the marriage governs the parties' legal relations unless it is annulled. Sinai Samaritan Medical Center, Inc. v. McCabe, 197 Wis. 2d 709, 541 N.W.2d 190 (Ct. App. 1995), 95-0012.
Annulment is an appropriate remedy to void a marriage when the parties to the marriage are still alive, but it is not the exclusive remedy to challenge the validity of a marriage. The common law drew a distinction between an annulment and a declaration that a marriage was void, especially a declaration after the death of one of the parties. Statutes and case law have preserved that distinction. McLeod v. Mudlaff, 2013 WI 76, 350 Wis. 2d 182, 833 N.W.2d 735, 11-1176.