In Texas, as in other states, a person cannot get married if he or she is already married to another person. After an ongoing complex divorce, Rep. Alan Grayson’s legal battle recently ended when a court in another state granted an annulment. This ended Grayson’s marriage to wife Lolita that had lasted 24 years but was apparently never legal in the first place.
Grayson, who is a multimillionaire, and his former spouse Lolita married in 1990. The court’s decision to grant an annulment followed the filing of documents obtained from the Immigration and Naturalization Service that showed Lolita was still married and had never obtained a divorce from a man she legally married years ago. Under Texas law, couples may not get married if a spouse’s previous marriage or marriages have not ended in divorce, annulment or the death of a spouse. Lolita has so far failed to produce any proof of divorce from her former husband.
The split has been reported to have been a difficult and contentious affair, but the couple apparently managed to reach an agreement about which details were not published. However, it was reported that, because the court ruled that the Grayson marriage was never legal, the congressman will have no alimony responsibilities. Grayson announced that he would continue supporting their four children.
Although an annulment put an end to this complex divorce, there is an important difference between a divorce and an annulment. A divorce, whether it is an amicable or a contentious divorce, is granted to end a marriage that was legal and acknowledged by the court. No person may be married to two people at the same time, and, if a marriage never existed because it was unlawful, an annulment may be granted. Texas couples who want to gain knowledge about legal grounds for annulments may want to consult with experienced divorce attorneys.
Source: mynews13.com, “Judge grants annulment in Rep. Alan Grayson marriage”, Caroline Rowland, April 7, 2015