Three Red Flags That Might Mean An Impending Marriage Isn't Genuine

Getting an annulment is a way of declaring that you were never married. There are only a few grounds for annulment, and fraud is one of them. Most people will agree that it is better to prevent a fraudulent marriage in the first place than to have it annulled later on. Here are some of the red flags that should make you suspect that you are about to enter a marriage based on fraud:

Extremely Short Courtship

There is no standard courtship period, but the shorter your courtship is, the lower your chances of learning about your partner. You may not know, for example, whether your partner is already married to another person or is incapable of consummating your marriage. This is especially likely if it is your partner who is pressuring you to get married after a few meetings or a few weeks. It doesn't mean that every short courtship is doomed, but the short duration makes it easy for a person to hide some things that would make you change your mind (about the marriage) if you knew about them.

An All-Too-Convenient Timing

Many foreigners who enter fraudulent marriages do so as a means of avoiding deportation from the U.S. After all, obtaining permanent residence via the marriage route is one of the fastest ways of obtaining residency in the U.S. Therefore, some foreigners have this trick of looking for people to marry just before their visas are about to expire. That way, they can use their marriage to defend themselves against deportation. Again, not every foreigner about to get married to an American is a fraud, but you should be suspicious if the arrangement comes just before the person is about to be deported.

Extreme Secrecy

You don't have to broadcast your impending marriage to the public, but you should know that some fraudulent people use this route to avoid complications later. For example, a person may want to keep their marriage secret from their friends, colleagues, and family members if they know the marriage won't last. That way even if you end the marriage, it will only be between the two of you. Other people also use secrecy to avoid those who may spill the beans on why the impending marriage is doomed. Therefore, it pays to know why your partner is advocating for a secret marriage before entering such a union.

If you are unfortunate enough to enter a marriage based on fraud, all you need is to prove it and have your marriage annulled. You may be required to prove that had you known the truth, you would never have married the person. Talk to a family lawyer, such as Rute Law,  today to see if your case qualifies for annulment.