The old bait and switch

Don't know if you know this but while working in a law library is not as physically taxing as, say, ditch digging in August or running a marathon or chasing after a two year old, I do come home exhausted most days.  Oh, we have our strenuous moments but they tend to be more cerebral. 

For example, a young lady came into the library who is dealing with a family law matter.  Apparently, young lady met a guy online (in a foreign country).  Guy said he was not gay (which I thought was a strange thing to emphasize) and was interested in getting married and settling down and having a family with kids - lots and lots of them because he had a great job and could afford them.  

OK, at this point in the story, I'm thinking - you gotta be kidding me?  I mean, this guy sounds like a bad Hoover vacuum salesman.  NOT gay?  LOTS of kids?  Who writes this stuff?!  Apparently, though, young lady was wanting to get married in a big way and she gobbled up his story hook, line, and stinker.

As it turns out, guy lied through his teeth and was just looking to hook up with an American girl to get out of his country.   Oh, and he was gay.  So very, very gay (not that there is anything wrong with that except that he lied to her to get married).  Had she known that he bent waaaay to the left (and not even remotely interested in having kids), she would not have married him.

With blood in her eyes and fuming a high degree of righteous indignation, young lady was looking to get an annulment (because guy lied to her).  That's where I came in.  I'm thinking "annulment," of course, and start digging around and see it is also referred to as "nullity of marriage."  Fast forward, I start grazing through our collection and soon (enough) locate:

• Words and Phrases (Vol. 28B; p. 364)
• American  Jurisprudence Pleading and Practice Forms Annotated (Vol. 1D; Annulment of Marriage)
• California Practice Guide: Family Law (Chapters 2 & 19 re: Fraud)
• California Jurisprudence 3d (Family Law, Sections 90-94)
• Practice Under California Family Code (Sections 3.13, 3.22, 9.2)
• California Forms of Pleading and Practice (Vol. 3, Ch. 25 (Annulment (Nullity) of Marriage & Related Spousal Rights)

Sad as her predicament was, at least we were able to provide young lady with the tools to help start digging herself out of her despair.  If ever you find yourself in a rut, why not head on over to your local county law library to see what we can do to help you move up and out.