What is the procedure for an annulment?

[ken_Fischer]

My girl friend has been divorced for 15 years . Her husband was unfaithful to her which resulted in divorce . She has been told that annulment takes six years and thousands of dollars.I assume this is not true . What is the procedure and average cost and time of an annulment

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

An individual who wishes to pursue an annulment first meets with their local priest. He will conduct an initial interview and gather all the necessary documents and paperwork that the Tribunal will initially require. Usually the Tribunal needs baptismal information, a copy of evidence of civil marriage and divorce, church marriage proof, current address for both spouses. The priest will also conduct a general interview of the former couple’s family backgrounds, courtship, marriage, marital life, and break down of marriage. That information will then be forwarded to the diocesan Tribunal for a canon lawyer to determine if there are realistic grounds for an annulment. If so, the canon lawyer will ask for witnesses to verify and collaborate the proposed grounds for the annulment. Tribunal judges will then make a determination if enough evidence exists to declare that the marriage was null from the beginning. If so, everything will be forwarded to a 2nd Tribunal to accept or reject the judgment of the 1st Tribunal.

The entire process usually averages 1-2 years depending on the particular Tribunal’s workload and the availability of witnesses for the case. Cost varies from region to region depending on the that region’s cost of living. New York City would have a different cost then, say, Idaho. The average cost seems to be about $500, no diocese asks for “thousands” of dollars.

For further info:
Archdiocese of New York’s FAQ on Annulments

Archdiocese of Baltimore’s 12 Myths about Annulments