What are causes for invalid marriages?

Question

What are causes for invalid marriages?

Answer 1

There are basically two types of invalid marriages: those that are void and those that are voidable. Void marriages are those that cannot legally exist and therefore are deemed to never have been valid. Void marriages are generally limited to unions where one party is already legally married to someone else (bigamy) and those between underage parties (lack of consent) or close relatives (incest) .

Answer 2

What is an invalid marriage? One that has to be annulled?

Answer 3

There are several reasons why a marriage may be invalid or voidable. If the parties are underage, mentally handicapped and lacking the ability to provide consent; if the parties are under duress; if one party is not pregnant as believed; if one party is impotent;  if one party is already married.

One supposed spouse may have kept a prior marriage secret, or both may have thought incorrectly that an earlier marriage had ended in divorce or the death of a spouse. Or a marriage may be invalid because it is between close relatives. There are probably other reasons also, but those listed are many of the primary reasons.