“An annulment or nullity judgment invalidates the marriage and declares that a marriage never existed. Dissolution or divorce terminates the marriage and is an action that resolves all issues of the marriage, such as marital status, property, custody, child support, spousal support, and division of property. Legal separation is an action that is identical to dissolution in that all issues of the marriage are resolved, but the marital status of the couple remains intact. Thus, a marriage is only erased by a judgment of nullity or termination by a judgment of dissolution or by death.” (LW Greenberg, California Family Law.)
