LITIGATION CONSULTING
Annulments
We help prove marriage fraud in family court in consultation with your local family law attorney.
Overview
Annulments have far-reaching consequences.
Annulments are state-based proceedings that provide victims of immigration marriage fraud with a legal forum for adjudicating whether fraud occurred.
BENEFIT #1
Void the Marriage
Unlike divorces which end a valid marriage, annulments may invalidate or “void” the marriage from the beginning.
BENEFIT #2
Reduce Your Liability
Annulments can eliminate state-based liability arising from the marriage and potentially even federal I-864 liability.
BENEFIT #3
Prevent Fraud
Annulments can result in the revocation of immigration benefits derived from the invalid marriage, as well as deportation.
Note: Requirements for annulments vary from state-to-state. You must rely exclusively on your family attorney for legal advice relating to state law.
Unique Challenges
Annulments intersect family and immigration law.
Annulments based on immigration marriage fraud present unique challenges for clients and local family attorneys alike.
CHALLENGE #1
Partial Expertise
Family attorneys are experts in state law, not federal immigration law. They cannot be expected to understand complex immigration laws, the details of immigration fraud schemes, or how to investigate and prove the fraud.
CHALLENGE #2
Time Constraints
Family attorneys are often busy appearing in court and handling an array of matters that may preclude the type of investigative focus and effort that may be required to prove immigration fraud.
CHALLENGE #3
Limited Experience
Finding an attorney who has handled a successful annulment, let alone one based on immigration fraud, is extremely rare. Local counsel often has no prior experience handling this type of case.
Collaborative Team
One Team – Two Minds.
To maximize your chances success, we recommend hiring a family attorney as lead counsel, and an immigration attorney to provide litigation support.
Family Attorney
Your local family attorney serves as lead counsel, advising you on state law, navigating the court system, preparing court filings, and representing you in court.
Immigration Attorney
Our firm provides litigation support, advising on immigration issues, sharing legal research, investigating fraud, discovering and analyzing evidence, and arming local counsel for trial.
Our Role
We provide supplemental immigration expertise.
FUNCTION 1
Strategy Development
We can support you and your local family attorney before and throughout litigation by providing immigration-law expertise that informs case strategy, while your family attorney retains full responsibility for state-law issues, filings, and courtroom representation.
FUNCTION 2
Fraud Investigations
We can conduct a targeted fraud investigation to establish the factual foundation for your case, collecting and authenticating evidence, interviewing witnesses, and coordinating forensic analysis as needed, producing verified timelines and witness dossiers that inform fraud assessments, discovery strategy, and legal briefing.
FUNCTION 3
Fraud Assessments
We can provide a fraud assessment that evaluates the verified facts under applicable federal immigration law and circuit standards, identifying evidentiary strengths, weaknesses, and fraud indicators, and delivering a focused roadmap that helps local counsel prioritize investigation, discovery, and litigation strategy.
FUNCTION 4
Legal Briefs
We can prepare two types of legal briefs for local counsel: I-864 enforcement briefs addressing unresolved federal support issues, and annulment briefs outlining applicable blackletter law, binding authority, and persuasive precedent governing annulments based on immigration marriage fraud.
FUNCTION 5
Discovery Development
We support your local family attorney in developing targeted discovery—including interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admissions, and subpoenas—designed to surface investigative leads, expose inconsistencies, and obtain evidence relevant to proving immigration marriage fraud.
FUNCTION 6
Cross-Examination
We support your local family attorney in preparing cross-examination for depositions and trial, developing focused questioning designed to establish key facts, test credibility, and expose inconsistencies or contradictions relevant to immigration marriage fraud.
FUNCTION 7
Fraud Reporting
If a final judgment of nullity is entered, we can assist with reporting by ensuring the judgment and supporting materials are properly submitted to relevant federal agencies for administrative review or potential criminal investigation of marriage fraud.
Need a family attorney?
Finding a reliable family attorney in these matters may be your biggest challenge. Read our victim guide entitled, “How to hire a family law attorney for an annulment based on immigration fraud”, for detailed guidance.