How is annulment different than divorce in Missouri?

In Missouri, a divorce proceeding is used to end a lawful, valid marriage. An annulment, on the other hand, ends a marriage that was not valid to begin with. If a marriage is declared null and void, it is as if it never existed in the first place. An annulment is only granted in very limited situations, such as in the cases where spouses are relatives, bigamous marriages, lack of mental capacity, fraud of an intimate nature, duress, a spouse is underage, and a few other reasons. Note that an annulment will not be granted simply because the marriage is of short duration, and annulment proceeding is not cheaper or faster than a divorce.