Annulment in Fayette County

Hire Gavvl for your Fayette County annulment case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Fayette County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start.

Start with a $25 consultation and talk through your options with an Ohio family-law attorney before you commit to anything. Get started online or see payment plans & financing.

Hire Gavvl Law to seek a Fayette County annulment

An annulment treats a marriage as if it never legally existed, but Ohio allows it only on narrow statutory grounds under R.C. 3105.31 — being underage, bigamy, fraud, unsound mind, or an unconsummated marriage — and some grounds carry time limits. The complaint is filed in the General & Domestic Relations Division of the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas. Because the proof is strict and the county publishes no separate annulment deposit, Gavvl Law confirms the grounds and the current cost with the Clerk before filing, and works on a flat fee approved up front.

• Confirming a statutory ground first. Annulment fails without a recognized R.C. 3105.31 ground, and some grounds must be raised within a time limit. We evaluate your facts before filing, and if none fits we tell you plainly — divorce or dissolution, both heard in the same Domestic Relations Division, is usually the realistic path instead.
• A deposit confirmed, not guessed. Because the county has no published annulment deposit, we call the Clerk at (740) 335-6371 to confirm what the filing costs before you commit, instead of assuming it tracks the $400 divorce or $350 dissolution figure. An Affidavit of Poverty is ready if paying it would be a hardship.
• Service and e-filing handled for you. When a spouse lives in Ohio, the court requires personal service rather than an opening certified-mail attempt (Local Rule 11.02), and counsel must submit filings through the Henschen e-file system that pro se filers may skip. We manage that service and filing so a strict annulment isn't derailed by a procedural miss, all under one flat fee you approve up front.

Annulment, divorce, and dissolution are all heard by Fayette's single 3rd-floor General & Domestic Relations Division under one judge and one set of local rules, so if the statutory grounds don't hold up we can pivot to a divorce or dissolution without changing courthouses or clerks. Having counsel who already knows that counter keeps a mistaken annulment from becoming lost time.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file your complaint for annulment to have the marriage declared void. You appear at any hearings yourself.

• Complaint for annulment: $1,750

Prefer full representation? An Ohio attorney can carry the entire case on a $3,500 retainer.

Split any flat fee with Gavvl Direct — our in-house plan at 19% APR, $500 minimum — on a 60%-down schedule of 18 weekly, 8 bi-weekly, or 4 monthly payments, or full financing where work begins once 60% is paid. Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal Pay Later are also available through LawPay.

Start your annulment case or see payment plans & financing.

Where to File: Fayette County Court of Common Pleas — General & Domestic Relations Division

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Fayette County Probate-Juvenile Court
110 East Court Street, 2nd Floor, Washington Court House, OH 43160
Phone: (740) 335-0640
Hours: Monday–Friday

Annulment is the right path if…

• You believe your marriage qualifies under one of the statutory grounds.
• The marriage was based on fraud, bigamy, or other recognized defect.
• One spouse was underage or unable to consent.
• You want the marriage declared void rather than divorced.

Filing Fees

Filed in the General & Domestic Relations Division as a domestic case; the county does not separately list an annulment deposit, so confirm the amount with the Clerk at (740) 335-6371 · Affidavit of Poverty available

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Annulment in Fayette County

1. Confirm a statutory ground. Annulment requires a specific R.C. 3105.31 ground; if none applies, divorce or dissolution is the right path.
2. Prepare the complaint. Complete the annulment complaint identifying the ground; confirm the required complaint and deposit with the Clerk.
3. File and serve. File with the Clerk of Courts, (740) 335-6371, pay the deposit or request a waiver, and serve your spouse (personal service if they're in Ohio).
4. Prove the ground at hearing. Be ready to prove the statutory ground; if granted, the court declares the marriage void.

Fayette County Practice Notes

• Divorce is heard by the General & Domestic Relations Division. Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment are heard by the General & Domestic Relations Division of the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas under Judge David B. Bender, 110 East Court Street, 3rd Floor, Washington Court House. The Division shares the General Division's judge, clerk, local rules, and fee schedule. File through the Clerk of Courts, (740) 335-6371; the Division can be reached at (740) 335-4750, option #6.
• Fee waivers are available with a poverty affidavit. If you cannot afford the deposit, file an approved Affidavit of Poverty asking the court to waive the up-front deposit. A waiver relieves only the up-front cost — court costs may still be owed at the end of the case.
• Personal service is required if your spouse is in Ohio. If your spouse lives in Ohio, personal service is required — you cannot start with certified mail (Local Rule 11.02). If the spouse can't be located, service is by publication, or by posting for six weeks if you are indigent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get an annulment in Fayette County?

Annulment is available only on specific statutory grounds (such as bigamy, being underage, fraud, or inability to consent) under R.C. 3105.31 and treats the marriage as if it never legally existed — which is different from divorce. It is filed in the General & Domestic Relations Division. Because grounds and proof are strict, confirm the required complaint and deposit with the Clerk at (740) 335-6371.

Which court handles family-law cases in Fayette County?

Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment are heard by the General & Domestic Relations Division of the Court of Common Pleas under Judge David B. Bender (110 East Court Street, 3rd Floor, Washington Court House). If the parents were never married, custody, support, visitation, and parentage are decided by the separate combined Probate-Juvenile Court under Judge Mary E. King (2nd Floor, (740) 335-0640). Domestic Relations cases are filed through the Clerk of Courts, (740) 335-6371.

Is an uncontested divorce the same as a dissolution in Fayette County?

No. A dissolution is a separate, jointly-filed case where both spouses agree on everything before filing and appear together at a hearing 30 to 90 days later. An 'uncontested' divorce is a divorce that proceeds like a default because the other spouse can't be found (service by posting or publication) or won't participate.

What are the residency rules for divorce and dissolution in Fayette County?

Six months in Ohio to file for divorce (R.C. 3105.03). For a dissolution, at least one petitioner must also have lived in Fayette County for 90 days before filing (Local Rule 11.03).

Free Local Resources in Fayette County

• Fayette County Clerk of Courts (Domestic Relations). Current filing fees, deposit amounts, and case filing for divorce ($400), dissolution ($350), legal separation, annulment, and post-decree motions ($200). Clerk of Courts, 3rd Floor, 110 East Court Street, Washington Court House; (740) 335-6371; https://courts.fayette-co-oh.com/. Attorneys must e-file via Henschen (https://www.fayette-co-oh.com/341/eFiling-Henschen); pro se filers are exempt.
• Fayette County Probate-Juvenile Court. Judge Mary E. King, 2nd Floor, (740) 335-0640. Handles never-married-parent custody, parenting time, support, and parentage, plus non-parent custody, and runs a mediation program (Local Rule 18). All new juvenile family matters are a $100 deposit. There is no e-filing. Self-help: https://www.fayette-co-oh.com/269/Juvenile-Court.
• Fayette County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Arranges genetic testing, opens IV-D cases, sets support under Ohio's guidelines, collects by income withholding, and reviews existing orders. Contact (740) 335-0745.
• Prosecutor's Victim Witness Division. Fayette County directs people seeking a civil protection order to the Prosecutor's Victim Witness Division for help determining eligibility and preparing the petition. There is no filing fee for the person seeking protection.
• Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) Online. Fayette County promotes Triple P Online as a free parent/caregiver resource: https://octf.ohio.gov/what-we-do/statewide-initiatives/triple-p-online. A parenting class is not a standard DR requirement, but the court may order one case by case.
• Ohio Child Support Calculator. Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares child-support worksheet at https://ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov/ before any case that sets or changes support.

Other Family-Law Topics in Fayette County

• Statewide Custody Overview — How Ohio custody and parenting time work at a high level.
• Talk to a Family Law Attorney — Connect with a Fayette County family-law attorney for help with your case.

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 Fayette County family law

• Ohio Annulment guide — Statewide overview of annulment in Ohio.
• Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus metro.
• Fayette County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Fayette County guide.
• Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Gavvl Law.
• Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.