How is an annulment different from a divorce?
Similar to a divorce, an annulment is a court procedure that terminates a marriage. The difference is that an annulment treats the marriage as though it never happened.
A divorce ends a valid marriage, whereas an annulment declares that the marriage never existed. Most annulments take place after a marriage of a very short duration -- a few weeks or months.
When a long-term marriage is annulled, most States treat the issues of custody, child support, and property and debt division the same as they would in a regular divorce.