Lack of Form and Prior Bond

A Lack of Form case, generally speaking, deals with a Catholic party who married outside the Catholic Church without Church permission.

A Prior Bond case involves a situation in which a petitioner marries a person who has been validly married before and whose marriage has not been ended by the death of the spouse, a decree of invalidity or a privilege before the subsequent union was entered. It is also called a "ligamen."

Note: information on these cases is of a general nature and not intended to cover the technical details of any given case.