Form D80G UK: Statement in Support of Annulment

What this document is

Form D80G is one of a series of statement-in-support forms used in family proceedings. Each letter (A to G) corresponds to a different ground or type of petition, and the G version is specifically tied to nullity applications, where the petitioner is asking the court to declare that a marriage or civil partnership is either void from the start or voidable.

The form works hand in hand with the original nullity petition. Rather than repeating everything, it asks the petitioner to confirm the facts pleaded in the petition, flag any changes, and provide extra detail on sensitive matters such as lack of consent, mental disorder, pregnancy by another person at the time of the ceremony, certain medical conditions, or gender recognition issues.

It finishes with a statement of truth. The legal backbone for nullity is section 12 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 for marriages and section 50 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 for civil partnerships. The form is designed to draw out the information the court needs under those provisions before a decree of nullity can be granted.

How to use this document

1. Read the petition again before you start. Before filling in Form D80G, go back to the nullity petition you filed (or the draft you are working from) and re-read Part 5 in particular, because several sections of D80G cross-refer to it. Having both documents in front of you avoids inconsistencies between the two, which is one of the most common reasons courts come back with queries.
2. Confirm the petition and flag any amendments. The opening sections ask you to confirm you have read the petition and that its contents are true, and to set out any changes or additions you want to make. If something in the original petition is no longer accurate, or you have remembered further detail, write it out clearly here rather than leaving the court to guess. Precision in this section saves time later.
3. Set out when and how you learned the relevant facts. Section 4 asks when and in what circumstances you became aware of the facts relied on in Part 5 of the petition. For voidable grounds in particular, timing matters because there are time limits for bringing proceedings. Be specific about dates and context, and avoid vague phrases like 'some time ago' where you can give a clearer answer.
4. Answer the sensitive-grounds questions carefully. Sections 5 and 6 deal with matters such as knowledge at the time of the ceremony, consent, mental disorder, certain transmissible conditions, pregnancy by another person, and gender recognition under the Gender Recognition Act 2004. These questions are uncomfortable, but the court needs clear answers to decide whether the statutory grounds are made out. Keep your responses factual and to the point.
5. Complete the interim certificate section, sign, and check service. Section 7 covers interim gender recognition certificates where relevant. At the end, sign and date the statement of truth, which confirms you believe the facts stated are true. Finally, confirm whether the respondent has returned an acknowledgement of service. A missing acknowledgement can hold up the next stage, so check this before filing.

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