So, you’re wondering how to get an annulment in Alaska. Maybe your marriage feels like a glitch in the Matrix—or maybe you woke up the next morning and thought, “Wait… what just happened?” We get it. While divorce is the usual route for ending a marriage, an annulment is like telling the court, “This marriage shouldn’t legally count at all.” It’s not just ending a relationship—it’s erasing it from the legal books, like it never happened in the first place. Poof.

Now, here’s the quirky part about Alaska: our statutes don’t actually use the word “annulment.” But don’t worry—you can still ask the court to declare your marriage void under specific legal grounds. The catch? You can’t just say, “I regret this decision.” Annulments in Alaska are only granted when something was seriously wrong from the start. For example, if you accidentally married someone who’s already married—or someone uncomfortably close on the family tree—Alaska law considers that marriage automatically void. Likewise, if you or your spouse were too intoxicated or mentally impaired to legally consent to marriage, or if you were under the legal age to wed without parental consent, the court may also decide the marriage was never valid to begin with.

It’s also possible to get an annulment if you were tricked, misled, or forced into the marriage. Think fraud, threats, or any kind of manipulation that made you say “I do” under pressure. Even permanent sexual dysfunction—yep, we’re going there—can be grounds for annulment if it wasn’t disclosed before the wedding. The key takeaway is this: an annulment is only granted in Alaska when there’s a legal reason that proves the marriage never should have existed in the first place.

Another fun fact? There aren’t standard court forms in Alaska for filing an annulment. You’ll need to file a legal petition and present your case to a judge. If the judge agrees, you’ll get a court order declaring the marriage void—which is not the same as a divorce decree. Divorce means you were legally married and now you’re not. Annulment means you were never legally married at all. Cue sigh of relief.

Some people seek religious annulments through their church, which can help in terms of faith-based communities or remarriage within a religious context. Just keep in mind that church annulments aren’t recognized by Alaska state law. That means they won’t help you with things like child custody, visitation, dividing property or debts, or changing your name back. For any of that, you need a court-issued annulment or divorce.

If you’re not sure whether your situation qualifies, your best bet is to chat with an Alaska family law attorney who can walk you through the process. They’ll help you figure out whether you’re eligible for an annulment—or whether a traditional divorce is the more realistic route. Either way, the goal is the same: helping you legally (and emotionally) hit reset, Alaskan style.