Defective Marriages

Maryland does not favor annulments and the courts believe that marriages should be preserved whenever possible.  However, certain marriages are defective from the beginning.

Void marriages include bigamous marriages and those between close relatives.

Voidable marriages are those that fail under contract law but can be made valid by the court.  For example, marriage to a minor is not legal, but the marriage might be ratified by the court when the minor reaches the age of majority.