Do I need a Catholic annulment?

If you are divorced and want to remarry in the Catholic Church, you will need to receive a church annulment. This need is similar to receiving a divorce from the State before you remarry.
To many, the catholic annulment process is mysterious and daunting. You may have questions, fears and misconceptions. My goal in writing this blog is to provide you with a forum for questions and answers on annulments.

I have served as a church judge for over 20 years and I have work with literally thousands of divorced individuals hoping to receive a church annulment.

Admittedly, after going through a divorce, most people don't even want to think about going through an annulment. The divorce was painful enough!

But you may be in a position where an annulment has now become a necessity, especially if you want to remarry in the Catholic Church. Are you in any of these situations:

• You’re a divorced Catholic who has fallen in love and wants to remarry in the Church.
• You’re a divorced non-Catholic who has fallen in love, and your Catholic fiancé wants to marry in the Church.
• You're divorced and already remarried [Catholic or non-Catholic] and you want to bring your civil marriage into the Church.
• You’re a divorced non-Catholic who wants to become Catholic and also remarry.

Or, you may want an annulment out of a desire to change your present "married status" in church law back to a "single status."

• You're a divorced Catholic who wants the option to remarry in the Church in the future.
• You’re a divorced Catholic who wants an annulment for “peace of conscience.”

Whatever your reason for seeking an annulment, it's important for you to know that you have the right in church law to petition the Church for one. Whether you are Catholic or non-Catholic, you have this legal right.