Annulment in Belmont County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026

Belmont County, Ohio · St. Clairsville

An annulment is a court declaration that a marriage was never valid — it is not a divorce. In Belmont County it is filed in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas, (740) 699-2169, with a $251 deposit. Ohio allows annulment only on specific statutory grounds (R.C. 3105.31), and strict time limits apply.

Can I get an annulment in Belmont County, Ohio?

Only on a specific statutory ground under R.C. 3105.31 — a spouse under the age of consent, bigamy (a prior living spouse), mental incompetence, consent obtained by fraud or force, or a marriage never consummated. An annulment declares the marriage void or voidable, not ended by divorce, and strict time limits apply to each ground. File a Complaint for Annulment in the General Division with the Belmont County Clerk of Courts, (740) 699-2169, with a $251 deposit. Because the grounds and deadlines are technical, annulment cases benefit from legal advice.

Ohio Divorce by the Numbers

6 months Ohio residency required before you can file Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.03
90 days Residency in the county of filing (venue) Source: Ohio Civ. R. 3
30–90 days Typical time to finalize an uncontested dissolution Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.64
1 year Living separate and apart that qualifies as no-fault grounds Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.01

Compare Your Options for Ending a Marriage in Ohio

Path	Ends the marriage?	Agreement required?	Best when
Dissolution	Yes	Yes — on every term before filing	Both spouses agree on everything and want the fastest, lowest-cost path
Divorce (contested)	Yes	No	Spouses disagree on property, support, or parenting and need a judge to decide
Divorce (uncontested / default)	Yes	No	One spouse will not respond or cannot be located
Legal separation	No — you stay married	Optional	You need court orders but must stay married (religion, insurance, or benefits)
Annulment	Treated as never valid	No	The marriage was never legally valid (fraud, bigamy, underage, or incapacity)

Where to File: Belmont County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

101 West Main Street, St. Clairsville, OH 43950
Phone: (740) 699-2169
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Website: belmontcountycoc.org/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Belmont County Probate & Juvenile Court
101 West Main Street, St. Clairsville, OH 43950
Phone: (740) 699-2141
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Annulment is the right path if…

You have a specific statutory ground (underage, bigamy, incompetence, fraud/force, or non-consummation).
You're within the strict time limit that applies to your ground.
You want the marriage declared void or voidable rather than ended by divorce.
You understand annulment is narrower and harder to prove than divorce.

Filing Fees

$251 annulment deposit · advance cost deposit · poverty affidavit (~$11) available under Local Rule 12.1 · strict statutory time limits apply to each ground · confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (740) 699-2169

Forms & Filing Packets

File for annulment in the General Division — $251 deposit

File a Complaint for Annulment with a $251 deposit, stating the statutory ground and the facts that support it. Because the grounds and deadlines are technical, prepare your evidence carefully.

Belmont County General Division Local Rules (Rule 12 Divorce Forms) — The General Division's Local Rule 12 and its attached Belmont Divorce Forms (101 restraining order, 103/104 property appraisal, 105 financial affidavit). There is no separate Domestic Relations court — the General Division Magistrate runs the DR docket. Obtain the current packet from the Clerk's Legal Division, 3rd floor, (740) 699-2169.
Affidavit of Income & Expenses (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own. Must be notarized.
Affidavit of Property (Ohio SC Affidavit 2) — Lists every asset and debt. Required at filing.

If annulment doesn't fit — divorce or dissolution

If you don't have a statutory ground or you're outside the time limit, ending the marriage by divorce or dissolution is usually the path. Both are filed in the General Division.

Complaint for Divorce Without Children (Ohio SC Form 6) — Opens your divorce case and tells the court what you're asking for. Use when you and your spouse have no minor children together.
Belmont County General Division Local Rules (Rule 12 Divorce Forms) — The General Division's Local Rule 12 and its attached Belmont Divorce Forms (101 restraining order, 103/104 property appraisal, 105 financial affidavit). There is no separate Domestic Relations court — the General Division Magistrate runs the DR docket. Obtain the current packet from the Clerk's Legal Division, 3rd floor, (740) 699-2169.

How to File Annulment in Belmont County

Confirm you have a statutory ground. Annulment requires a specific R.C. 3105.31 ground — underage, bigamy, mental incompetence, fraud or force, or non-consummation.
Check the time limit. Each ground has a strict deadline (and some require that the spouses stopped living together once the issue was discovered). Act promptly.
File the complaint. File a Complaint for Annulment in the General Division with the Belmont County Clerk of Courts, (740) 699-2169, with the $251 deposit and your financial affidavits.
Prove the ground at the hearing. Present evidence of the statutory ground; if the court is not persuaded, you may need to proceed by divorce or dissolution instead.

Belmont County Practice Notes

No separate Domestic Relations court. Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment are heard by the General Division of the Belmont County Court of Common Pleas — there is no separate Domestic Relations division. Judges Frank A. Fregiato ((740) 699-2137) and John A. Vavra ((740) 699-2138) preside, and a General Division Magistrate runs much of the divorce docket (Local Rule 12.4 / 12.6). File through the Clerk of Courts, Laura Zupko, Legal Division (3rd floor), 101 West Main Street, St. Clairsville, (740) 699-2169.
Six-month Ohio residency; no county-duration rule. To file for divorce or legal separation you or your spouse must have lived in Ohio for at least 6 months (R.C. 3105.03). The Belmont County local rules reviewed impose no separate county-residence period; the case is filed in Belmont County when a party resides here.
Fee waiver by poverty affidavit. An indigent party may file a poverty affidavit (affidavit of inability to prepay costs) in place of the deposit; the fee is about $11 under Local Rule 12.1, subject to a financial review and a payment schedule. If the Court later denies the waiver, you remain responsible for the costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get an annulment in Belmont County because the marriage was short?: No. An annulment (R.C. 3105.31) requires a specific statutory ground — such as a spouse under the age of consent, bigamy, mental incompetence, consent obtained by fraud or force, or a marriage never consummated — and strict time limits apply. It is a court declaration that the marriage was void or voidable, not a divorce. An annulment is filed in the General Division with a $251 deposit; confirm the amount with the Clerk at (740) 699-2169.
Which court handles family-law cases in Belmont County?: The General Division of the Belmont County Court of Common Pleas (101 West Main Street, St. Clairsville) hears all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases — there is no separate Domestic Relations court. The General Division Magistrate runs the divorce docket (Local Rule 12.4 / 12.6). The combined Probate & Juvenile Court handles unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting time (Juvenile, under R.C. 2151.23) and non-parent custody, (740) 699-2141. Domestic Relations cases are filed through the Clerk of Courts, Laura Zupko, Legal Division (3rd floor), (740) 699-2169.
How long must I live in Ohio before filing for divorce in Belmont County?: You or your spouse must have lived in Ohio for at least 6 months immediately before filing (R.C. 3105.03). The Belmont County local rules reviewed do not impose a separate county-residence period; the case is filed in Belmont County when a party resides here. There is no 90-day county-residency requirement.
What if I cannot afford the filing deposit in Belmont County?: File a poverty affidavit (affidavit of inability to prepay costs) in place of the deposit; the fee is about $11 under Local Rule 12.1 and is subject to a financial review and a payment schedule. If the Court later denies the waiver, you remain responsible for the costs. Ask the Clerk at (740) 699-2169 for the current indigency packet.

Free Local Resources in Belmont County

Belmont County Clerk of Courts (General Division). Current filing deposits, the Local Rule 12 divorce forms (101, 103/104, 105), and filing instructions for divorce, legal separation, annulment, and post-decree matters. File with the Legal Division on the 3rd floor, 101 West Main Street, St. Clairsville; (740) 699-2169. Local rules at https://belmontcountycoc.org/local-rules and the cost schedule at https://belmontcountycoc.org/costs-and-fees.
Belmont County Probate & Juvenile Court. Handles unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting time, plus the Belmont Grandparent Power of Attorney. Forms at https://www.belmontcountyohiocourts.com/forms/; Juvenile (740) 699-2141, Probate (740) 699-2144.
Belmont County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Belmont County's IV-D agency opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. Belmont County DJFS, 68145 Hammond Road, St. Clairsville; (740) 695-1075 option 8; https://belmontcdjfs.com/.
Belmont County Children Services. Investigates child abuse and neglect and supports kinship caregivers. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or Children Services at (740) 695-3813.
Representing Yourself in Belmont County. The Clerk's self-represented-litigant resources and filing guidance for the General Division at https://belmontcountycoc.org/representing-yourself. The Clerk cannot give legal advice but can explain what a complete filing requires.

Related to your annulment case

Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.
Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.

Related guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on annulment and related Ohio family law topics.

Divorce vs. Dissolution in Ohio: Which Path Is Right for You? — Divorce and dissolution both end an Ohio marriage, but they work very differently. Dissolution is a no-fault, agreed process; divorce is a lawsuit for couples who can't agree. Here's how to choose.
How to File for Divorce in Ohio: A Step-by-Step Guide — Filing for divorce in Ohio follows a defined path: confirm residency, choose your grounds, file the complaint, serve your spouse, and work toward temporary orders and a final decree. Here is how each step works.

Keep exploring

Ohio Annulment guide — Statewide overview of annulment in Ohio.
Akron family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Akron metro.
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