Filing the Annulment Papers

 Before you begin:

• Is this page for me?  This page is for people who want to file for annulment. 
• Do I qualify for an annulment?   There are only a few reasons that the court can grant an annulment. Read the Annulment Overview page to make sure you understand the differences between an annulment and a divorce, and be sure you understand the grounds you will have to prove. 
• What laws apply?  Learn the basics of the laws that apply to divorce and custody cases on .
• Where can I learn more?  The laws about custody and divorce generally apply to annulments with some exceptions.  You can visit the Divorce Overview and Custody Overview pages for general information, and you can attend a free divorce class that teaches you the basics of divorce/custody law.  

Follow these steps to start a case:

  1. Fill out the forms.  You have to fill out 3 forms to start your case, and another optional form if needed.  

 2. File the forms.  Turn in your completed forms by mail, efiling, or in person to the Clerk of Court.

 3. Serve Defendant.  You must have a 3rd person hand-deliver a copy of the filed forms to the Defendant. 

 1. Fill out the forms

To open an annulment case, you will need to file three required forms below.  

Family Court Cover Sheet

This form is REQUIRED. It lists basic information about you, your spouse, and any children that you and your spouse have together. You are the Plaintiff and your spouse is the Defendant. The Clerk of Court uses this information to open your case.

Family Court Cover Sheet (pdf)  Family Court Cover Sheet (pdf fillable) 

Complaint for Annulment

This form is REQUIRED. This form tells the judge and your spouse the grounds you are alleging to get an annulment, and what you want out of the annulment. You are the Plaintiff and your spouse is the Defendant. You will check boxes and fill in blanks to tell the judge and your spouse things like:

• The reasons you are asking for an annulment (be sure to review the Grounds for Annulment to understand the legal reasons a court may grant an annulment)
• What kind of child custody / visitation schedule you would like (if there are children)
• How much child support should be ordered (if there are children)
• If you want to have a former name restored
• If the annulment is denied, whether you would like the judge to grant you a divorce instead.  NOTE: If a divorce is granted instead, you can make requests regarding dividing any property and debts, and whether alimony should be awarded (property issues like these are not addressed in the event of an annulment).

If you and your spouse have minor children together, fill out the “Complaint for Annulment – With Children.” If you do not have children together, fill out the Complaint for Annulment – No Children.”

Complaint for Annulment - No Children (pdf)

Complaint for Annulment - No Children (pdf fillable) 

Complaint for Annulment - With Children (pdf)  

Complaint for Annulment - With Children (pdf fillable)

Summons

This form is REQUIRED. This form tells your spouse that you have filed for an annulment. The form also tells your spouse that he or she must file a response within 21 days, or a default may be entered against them.

Summons (pdf)   Summons (pdf fillable) 

If efiling, use filing code SEI when uploading the summons to make sure it is processed correctly.

Joint Preliminary Injunction

This is an optional injuction you can request when you file your papers.  The injunction prevents both you and your spouse from doing the following while the case is going on:

• You cannot hide, sell, or dispose of community property.
• You cannot cancel or change the beneficiaries on any retirement accounts or insurance plans.
• You cannot harass each other, the children, each other’s relatives, or family pets.
• You cannot relocate the children out of Nevada without written permission. 

You will be legally prevented from doing all of the above things as soon as the Joint Preliminary Injunction is issued by the Clerk. Your spouse will be legally prevented from doing these as soon as he or she is served with the papers.

If you would like this injunction issued, fill out the request below.  The Clerk will issue a detailed injunction when you file.

Joint Preliminary Injunction Request (pdf) 

Joint Preliminary Injunction Request (pdf fillable)

 2. File the forms

The court charges $269 to file these papers. You can pay by cash, money order, or most major credit/debit cards. If you cannot afford the fee, please see Filing Fees and Waivers to find out how to ask the court to waive the fee.

You can file your papers one of these ways:

1. Online: You can file online through the court's e-filing system, eFileNV. There is a fee of $3.50 to upload your documents, in addition to the regular filing fee. You must register for an account, you must provide a valid email address, and you must be able to scan and upload your documents as separate pdfs.  
   
   Do not upload one pdf with all of the forms included - this will significantly delay the processing.  Each form needs to be filed as its own pdf, but you can upload all of them in one submission. 
   
   The Summons must be uploaded with the filing code SEI or it will not be filed correctly.  Carefully follow the E-Filing Guide to avoid mistakes. 
   E-Filing Guide
   
   
2. In person at the Family Courthouse (check our How to File page for hours and more information).

3. By Mail: (mail takes about 6-8 weeks to process) Mail your forms and the filing fee (with check or money order made out to Clerk of Court) to:

   Family Courts and Services Center
   Attn: Clerk of Court
   601 North Pecos Road
   Las Vegas, NV 89101

 3. Serve the Defendant

The Court does not serve the papers for you.  It is up to YOU to make sure the Defendant gets served after you file or your case could get dismissed.   

After you complete the steps above, you must find a neutral 3rd person to hand-deliver a copy of the summons and complaint (and anything else you filed) to the Defendant.  You must make sure Defendant gets served within 120 days of when you filed your papers, or else your case will get dismissed.

The server must fill out an Affidavit of Service form.  File the completed form as soon as possible after service is done.  

Affidavit of Service (pdf fillable)

There are other options if the Defendant cannot be found or served in person.  Learn how to have the Defendant served by visiting the Serving the Papers page in the divorce section of this website.  Although it is in the divorce section, the rules and procedures are the same. 

After your spouse has been served with the annulment papers, you will have to wait and see what your spouse does before you know what your next step will be. There will be more papers to file no matter what.  You can learn about the possible next steps in the Divorce: Now What section of this website.  Although it is in the divorce section, the rules and procedures are the same.