The nullity of marriage in the Philippines does not end with a court declaration. Its practical force unfolds across a long chain of legal documents, civil registry records, property papers, identification documents, beneficiary designations, contracts, school and employment records, immigration papers, tax records, court pleadings, and succession documents. A decree of nullity changes legal status, but that change must be reflected properly and carefully in the documentary world. Until the judgment is final, entered, and annotated where required, many records may still continue to show the parties as married. Even after annotation, not every document changes automatically. Some documents remain historical records; others must be amended, updated, or reissued; still others remain valid but must be read in light of the judicial declaration.

In Philippine law, this topic requires distinguishing between the substantive effect of a void marriage and the documentary effect of the court decision declaring that nullity. A void marriage is considered void from the beginning, but, for many practical and institutional purposes, the world does not simply treat it as nonexistent until a competent court has declared it void and the proper records have been annotated. This is especially important for remarriage, property relations, legitimacy-related records, surnames, and transactions involving third parties.

This article explains the Philippine framework on nullity of marriage and then examines its implications across the full range of legal documents and records.

I. Basic Philippine legal framework on nullity of marriage

Under Philippine law, a distinction exists between:

void marriages, which are void from the beginning; and
voidable marriages, which are valid until annulled.

A declaration of nullity concerns a marriage that is void ab initio. It is treated in law as invalid from the start, although its consequences still have to be worked out through judicial proceedings and documentary correction.

Common grounds associated with void marriages include, among others:

absence of essential or formal requisites in cases where the law renders the marriage void
psychological incapacity under Philippine family law doctrine
incestuous marriages
marriages contrary to public policy
bigamous or polygamous marriages, subject to legal nuance
lack of a valid marriage license where the law requires one and no valid exception exists
marriages where one party lacked legal capacity in a way making the union void

The controlling point for documents is this: the court judgment declaring the marriage void is the operative proof institutions rely on. Even if the marriage is theoretically void from the beginning, banks, government offices, employers, registrars, insurers, courts, and schools do not ordinarily act on theory alone. They act on records.

II. Nullity versus annulment: why the difference matters for documents

This distinction has major documentary consequences.

Nullity of marriage

A void marriage is void from the beginning. The judicial action is one for declaration of nullity. The documentary problem is not that a once-valid marriage has now ended, but that a union recorded as a marriage is now judicially recognized as having been void all along.

Annulment

A voidable marriage is valid until annulled. Documents created during the marriage reflect a marriage that was legally effective until judicial dissolution.

Because of this distinction:

some documents affected by nullity may need to be reassessed as if the marital tie never validly existed, subject to statutory protections and third-party rights
in annulment, many documents are easier to understand historically because the marriage was valid until annulment

In practice, however, institutions often still require similar documentary proof: the decision, certificate of finality, entry of judgment, and civil registry annotation.

III. Why a judicial declaration is still essential even if the marriage is void from the start

Philippine law treats a void marriage as void ab initio, but a judicial declaration remains critically important for practical and legal reasons, especially when the person seeks to:

remarry
correct civil registry records
update government records
assert property consequences
challenge spousal rights or claims
settle estates
change beneficiary records
defend against accusations of bigamy in later relationships
prove status in court or before government agencies

Without the court decree and proper annotation, many institutions will continue to treat the person as married based on existing public records.

That is why the document trail matters so much:

decision declaring the marriage void
certificate of finality / entry of judgment
registration and annotation in the civil registry and PSA-linked records where applicable
subsequent updating of affected documents

IV. Core civil registry documents affected by nullity

The most immediately affected documents are the civil status records.

1. Marriage certificate

The marriage certificate does not simply disappear. It remains as a historical civil registry document, but it should be annotated to reflect the court declaration of nullity. The annotation is crucial. Without it, a plain copy of the marriage record may still suggest to outsiders that the marriage stands.

Important implications:

the certificate remains part of the record system
it is not treated as though it never existed physically
the legal significance changes because of the annotation
certified copies issued after proper annotation should show the relevant note or reference

This matters greatly when a person later transacts with:

the local civil registrar
the Philippine Statistics Authority system
a court in a later family case
an immigration authority
an employer conducting civil status verification

2. Birth certificates of the spouses

The spouses’ own birth certificates may not always be “corrected” in the same way as the marriage certificate, but civil status references in related registry systems may need updating. The effect can vary depending on how the registry reflects civil status data and what downstream documents rely on it.

3. Birth certificates of children

This area is often misunderstood. A declaration of nullity of marriage affects the marriage, but it does not automatically erase or casually rewrite the legal status of children. Philippine family law contains its own rules on filiation, legitimacy, presumptions, and children conceived or born in the context of a marriage later declared void.

The documentary implications for children depend heavily on:

the exact ground of nullity
the timing of conception or birth
the applicable rules on legitimacy or legitimacy-like protection under family law
whether filiation is separately established or disputed
whether any correction petition is necessary

As a rule, one should not assume that a child’s birth certificate automatically becomes wrong or must be reissued simply because the parents’ marriage was declared void. The question is much more specific and legally sensitive.

V. Annotation: the most important documentary step

In Philippine practice, one of the most important consequences of nullity is the need for proper annotation of the court judgment in the civil registry.

Without annotation:

the judgment exists, but public records may not reflect it
future requests for civil registry documents may still show the old marital entry without visible legal context
remarriage becomes dangerous
later transactions may be rejected
confusion may arise in property, succession, and identity records

With annotation:

the public document trail begins to align with the court judgment
the person has stronger documentary proof of single status for future legal acts
downstream record changes become easier

Annotation is therefore not a decorative clerical step. It is the bridge between the judgment and the documentary system.

VI. Effect on civil status in legal documents

Once nullity is final and properly reflected, the person’s legal civil status is no longer that of a validly married spouse under the void union. This affects numerous documents that ask for civil status.

Common civil-status fields include:

single
married
widowed
annulled
legally separated
divorced, in limited specialized contexts involving recognition of foreign divorce
others depending on the form

For nullity cases, the proper representation of status depends on the legal and institutional context. Some forms may not have a field expressly saying “marriage declared void” or “annulled/nullified.” In many cases, documentary presentation is handled by attaching the annotated record or court decree rather than trying to force a simplistic checkbox.

The main point is that after a valid declaration of nullity, a person should no longer continue affirming the existence of the void marriage in legal documents where current marital status matters, unless the document is describing historical facts for a past period.

VII. Historical documents versus amendable current documents

A crucial distinction must be made between two kinds of documents.

A. Historical documents

These are documents that accurately reflected the apparent legal situation at the time they were made. They are not necessarily “false” now just because nullity was later declared.

Examples:

old employment records stating the person was married at that time
prior visa applications listing a spouse
school forms completed during the subsistence of the recorded marriage
old tax or insurance forms
older deeds executed while the parties were treated as spouses
previous pleadings filed before nullity

These documents usually remain historical records. They are not automatically void or subject to mass retroactive destruction.

B. Current or amendable documents

These are documents that reflect present legal status and may need updating after nullity.

Examples:

current IDs and government profiles
current beneficiary designations
current employment records
current tax information
current health insurance dependency declarations
current passports or immigration records where marital status matters
current bank KYC records
pending court pleadings involving marital status
pending estate or property proceedings

This distinction prevents a common mistake: assuming every document created during the relationship must be corrected. Usually, the law is concerned with present legal status and specific legal rights, not erasing all history.

VIII. Government-issued identification documents

1. Philippine passport

A passport application or renewal may involve civil status declarations and supporting records. If a passport was obtained while the person was using a married name or reflecting married status, the nullity may affect future applications, renewals, and name use.

Possible documentary issues include:

whether the applicant will revert to the maiden name
whether the existing passport still accurately reflects the present legal name and status
whether the PSA-issued annotated marriage or supporting judgment must be presented
whether the person’s signature and name records remain consistent across travel documents

A passport already issued does not necessarily become instantly void the moment a judgment is rendered, but future travel and renewal issues may arise if the document no longer matches the person’s legally asserted name and civil status.

2. National ID and other government IDs

IDs that include civil status less prominently may still need underlying record updates if the person’s database profile contains marital information. The documentary requirement usually depends on agency rules, but the nullity decision and annotated civil registry records often become the foundation for correction.

3. Driver’s license, voter records, tax identification records, social insurance records

These may need updating where:

the name used changed because of marriage
dependent or spouse data was entered
marital status fields affect eligibility or reporting
emergency contact and legal next-of-kin information depends on spousal status

Again, the documents are not all automatically invalidated. The practical issue is whether the existing data still corresponds to legal reality after nullity.

IX. Use of surname after nullity of marriage

One of the most practical implications of nullity concerns the use of surname.

A spouse who adopted the other spouse’s surname during the marriage often faces questions such as:

Must the person revert to the maiden name?
May the person continue using the married surname?
What documents must be changed first?
What about professional licenses, diplomas, and bank accounts?

In Philippine family law practice, the answer is often tied to the nature of the marriage’s nullity and the governing rules on name use. Because the marriage was void from the beginning, the continued use of the purported spouse’s surname becomes legally fragile. As a practical documentary matter, institutions often expect reversion to the maiden name or legally proper name once the judgment is final and civil registry corrections are in place.

This can affect:

passport
PRC records
employment records
bank accounts
BIR records
SSS/GSIS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG-type records
school and alumni records
professional correspondence
business registrations
titles and contracts

Still, some records may remain in the prior name as historical references, especially diplomas, certificates, and earlier transactions. The real issue is whether those records need amendment, cross-reference, or just supporting proof of identity continuity.

X. Property documents and the nullity of marriage

This is one of the most legally complex areas.

A declaration of nullity can affect:

ownership characterization
administration rights
property settlement
liquidation documents
titles
deeds
mortgages
tax declarations
corporate share disclosures
estate inventory papers

But the consequences are not mechanically the same in every case. They depend on:

whether the marriage was void
whether there was a property regime in fact or in law
whether one or both parties were in good faith
whether family law rules on co-ownership apply
whether the property was acquired before, during, or after the union
whether third parties relied on the title or representation of marriage
whether there is already a judicial liquidation or partition process

1. Transfers and titles showing the parties as spouses

Real property documents sometimes identify transferees as “spouses.” If the marriage is later declared void, that does not automatically make every title or deed void on its face. Instead, the true legal nature of their co-ownership or entitlement may need to be reassessed.

2. Need for liquidation and partition documents

In many cases, the nullity judgment is not the last property document needed. The parties may still need:

inventory
liquidation of properties
partition agreement
deeds of adjudication or conveyance
judicial approval in some contexts
amended title transactions

Where the law requires liquidation before remarriage or before final property regularization, documentary compliance becomes especially important.

3. Third-party rights

Banks, buyers, mortgagees, and other third parties may have transacted on the assumption of marriage. The nullity judgment does not always simply erase those third-party dealings. Documentary consequences must be assessed alongside registry law, property law, and good-faith purchaser principles.

XI. Bank documents, loans, and financial records

Marriage affects banking and credit documents in many ways:

account opening forms
spouse consent requirements
beneficiary declarations
loan applications
mortgage documents
co-maker and guaranty papers
KYC and FATCA-like status declarations
family expense or support-related records

After nullity, the following questions can arise:

Does the bank profile need to be updated?
Must the former spouse be removed as emergency contact, beneficiary, or authorized representative?
Are old signatures under married surname still acceptable?
Does a prior “spousal consent” document remain effective?
Can one party still claim access as spouse?

Typically, old financial documents remain historical evidence of transactions. But future dealings require record updates. The nullity decree and annotated civil registry documents often become necessary for the bank’s compliance records.

XII. Insurance policies and beneficiary designations

Nullity can significantly affect insurance and benefits documents.

1. Life insurance beneficiaries

If the named beneficiary is the spouse under a void marriage, several issues arise:

Was the designation revocable or irrevocable?
Is the designation based on name or relationship?
Does nullity automatically cancel the beneficiary designation?
Must the policyholder execute a fresh change of beneficiary?

A person should not assume that nullity alone rewrites the policy. Insurance contracts operate on their own terms, subject to law. The safer legal view is that the designation should be reviewed and, where needed, affirmatively changed.

2. Health insurance and HMO dependents

Spousal dependency status usually requires updating after nullity. Continued listing of the former spouse as legal spouse may create coverage disputes, fraud concerns, or reimbursement problems.

3. Government benefit systems

Any system that grants survivorship, dependency, or spousal benefits may require documentary updating. The nullity judgment may affect:

spouse eligibility
survivorship claims
dependent declarations
reimbursement rights
funeral and death benefit claims

XIII. Employment records and workplace documents

Employment files often include:

civil status
spouse’s name
tax declarations
dependent records
emergency contacts
health insurance enrollment
beneficiary forms
leave-related entitlements
payroll-linked family benefits

After nullity, the employee may need to update:

surname
civil status
spouse/dependent information
designated beneficiary
records used for payroll and taxation
next-of-kin information

Past leave availments or benefits taken while the parties were treated as married are not automatically fraudulent merely because nullity was later declared. The issue is whether the person now continues to maintain outdated marital claims after legal status has changed.

XIV. Tax documents

In tax and employer reporting contexts, nullity can affect:

civil status declarations
dependent information
family-related exemptions under whatever tax framework applies
property tax-related declarations
donor’s or estate tax issues involving spouse classification
documentary stamp or transfer issues in property partition

Some tax records are historical filings and are not casually amended retroactively unless required by law. But current and future declarations should reflect present legal status. Property and estate tax consequences can become particularly complex where the supposed spouse’s status changes after death or after a transaction.

XV. Court pleadings and litigation documents

Nullity has major effects on pending and future litigation.

1. Cases where a person was sued or described as “spouse of”

If a person is identified in pleadings as the lawful spouse, that description may need qualification or correction after nullity is declared.

2. Family law proceedings

The nullity judgment may become a key annex in:

custody cases
support cases
property settlement cases
protection order cases
succession disputes
guardianship matters

3. Estate and probate proceedings

One of the most important implications is whether a person can still claim as a surviving spouse. If the marriage has been declared void, the documentary claim to spousal status in estate proceedings is profoundly affected. This can alter:

standing in probate
compulsory heir analysis where applicable
intestate shares
administration claims
opposition to settlement papers
extrajudicial settlement documents

A person who remains listed as “spouse” in an estate document despite a final nullity judgment may face serious legal challenge.

XVI. Succession and inheritance documents

Nullity of marriage can dramatically affect inheritance rights and the documents that depend on them.

Potentially affected documents include:

wills referring to a spouse
notarial declarations of heirs
extrajudicial settlement papers
waiver documents
estate inventories
death claim forms
transfer documents after death
insurance and pension death benefit claims

Key issue:

if the marriage was void, the claimed status as lawful surviving spouse may fail, subject to the exact facts and any relevant protective doctrines

This can reshape:

who the heirs are
who must sign settlement documents
whether a spouse’s conformity is needed
who may administer the estate
who gets survivorship-based benefits

Where the decedent died before a final declaration of nullity, documentary disputes can become even more intricate.

XVII. Children’s records, school documents, and filiation records

Nullity of marriage may create concern over school enrollment records, baptismal records, passports of children, school IDs, and birth records naming parents.

The important caution is that the child’s identity and filiation are not casually erased by nullity. School and civil records involving the child must be treated carefully.

Possible issues include:

whether the child’s surname remains correct under family law rules
whether school records need parent-status clarification
whether passport applications require proof of parental authority
whether custody-related school authorizations should be updated
whether consent documents from the “spouse” remain sufficient if the person was never a lawful spouse but is still the biological parent

These are not automatic correction matters. They require careful distinction between:

marital status of parents
filiation of the child
custody or parental authority
surname rules
civil registry correction procedures

XVIII. Contracts and private agreements

Private contracts may identify a party as:

married
spouse of another person
acting with spousal conformity
represented by spouse
acquiring property as spouses
naming spouse as co-obligor or beneficiary

After nullity, those contracts do not all become void by default. The implications depend on:

whether marital status was essential to the contract
whether consent or authority depended on a valid marriage
whether the contract created vested rights
whether third parties relied in good faith
whether the issue is merely descriptive or legally operative

A document that merely described the parties as spouses may remain historically understandable. A document that required lawful spousal status as the basis of authority may require deeper legal reassessment.

XIX. Corporate and business documents

Marriage can affect business records where disclosure rules require stating:

civil status
spouse’s name
marital property relations
beneficial ownership
family corporations or related-party transactions
inheritance-linked shares
family business succession planning

After nullity, documents potentially affected include:

GIS and corporate disclosures
partnership records
sole proprietorship records
stock transfer papers
shareholder beneficiary data
business permits where family ownership data is relevant
succession planning documents

Again, the nullity decree does not erase all prior business history. It changes the legal interpretation and future record accuracy.

XX. Immigration and travel documents

For persons who used the marital relationship in visas, residency, sponsorship, or immigration declarations, nullity may affect:

future visa applications
family reunification claims
spousal sponsorship
derivative residency or immigration status
foreign civil status declarations
consular registrations

Documents previously filed may remain historical. But future applications must reflect the judicially recognized status. Inconsistent disclosure can create immigration credibility problems.

For Filipinos with foreign transactions, it becomes especially important to distinguish:

nullity under Philippine law
recognition of Philippine judgment abroad
foreign documentary standards
consistency of name use across jurisdictions

XXI. Professional licenses, academic records, and credentials

Professional and academic records often preserve the name under which the person graduated, passed the board, or was licensed. Nullity can create a mismatch between:

diploma name
PRC name
passport name
employment records
tax records
current legal surname

This does not mean the diploma or license becomes invalid. More often, the person needs a documentary bridge showing:

former married name
current legal name
court decree of nullity
annotated civil registry proof
possibly agency-specific name-change procedures

These are identity continuity problems, not automatic invalidity problems.

XXII. Criminal and civil liability for false declarations after nullity

After final nullity and proper knowledge of it, continued signing of legal documents falsely claiming the void spouse as lawful spouse may create serious risks, depending on context.

Possible problem areas include:

sworn affidavits
notarized documents
public filings
visa applications
insurance claims
estate claims
tax declarations
benefits claims
support or dependency forms

The risk is not merely “technical inconsistency.” In some settings it can become:

false statement under oath
fraud
misrepresentation
improper benefits claim
clouding of title or inheritance rights
documentary confusion leading to litigation

This is why timely record updating is important.

XXIII. Remarriage documents and the danger of incomplete paperwork

One of the most important practical implications of nullity is remarriage.

A person whose marriage has been declared void cannot safely rely on the court decision alone without ensuring the proper documentary consequences have been completed. For remarriage, institutions usually care about:

final judgment
certificate of finality or entry of judgment
registration of the judgment
annotated marriage record and PSA-linked civil registry availability
compliance with any property-liquidation requirements where applicable

An attempted remarriage without complete documentary compliance may create severe legal risk, including questions about the validity of the later marriage.

The documentary chain therefore matters just as much as the court victory.

XXIV. The effect of nullity on notarial documents

Notarial documents involving status, consent, or family representation may need review after nullity.

Possible examples:

affidavits of support
special powers of attorney
deeds with spousal consent
marital waivers
affidavits of self-adjudication referring to spouse
declarations of heirs
notarized beneficiary waivers

A notarial document previously executed is not automatically worthless, but its legal effect may need reinterpretation in light of the nullity decree.

Future notarized documents should no longer inaccurately refer to the void marriage as subsisting.

XXV. Extrajudicial settlement documents

If a person claims in an extrajudicial settlement to be the surviving spouse of someone from a marriage later declared void, the document may be subject to attack. This can affect:

validity of settlement
partition shares
title transfers
tax filings
registration
claims of co-heirs

Conversely, if the nullity judgment is final before estate settlement, it should be disclosed and reflected accurately. Failure to do so can expose the parties to later nullification or damages claims.

XXVI. Death certificates and post-death records

If one party dies after nullity has been declared, the other should no longer be recorded casually as surviving spouse in post-death documents where lawful spousal status matters. This can affect:

death claim forms
funeral benefit forms
burial authority documents
survivorship benefit applications
estate papers
pension claims

If death occurs before final resolution of nullity proceedings, complications can become much greater, especially because spousal status may remain contested at the time of death.

XXVII. Public records do not all self-correct

A practical truth in Philippine legal administration is that a court judgment does not automatically ripple through every database. Different institutions maintain separate systems. Some update only upon personal application and submission of documents.

That means a person may need to update, separately:

local civil registrar records
PSA-accessible records as they become annotated
passport records
employer HR files
SSS/GSIS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG-type files
BIR records
bank records
insurance policies
land and title records where necessary
PRC records
school or alumni records if name consistency matters
immigration and visa documentation
corporate disclosures

The judgment is the legal foundation. It is not a magic universal database command.

XXVIII. Documents that usually require the court decree plus annotation

In practice, the most persuasive documentary package often includes:

certified true copy of the decision
certificate of finality or entry of judgment
proof of registration of the judgment
annotated marriage certificate or PSA-issued document reflecting annotation
any specific order on liquidation, custody, or related matters if relevant

Different institutions may ask for different combinations, but the annotated civil registry record is often the most practically important downstream document.

XXIX. Retroactive legal effect versus prospective documentary use

A recurring legal tension in nullity cases is this:

Substantively, the marriage is void from the beginning.
Documentarily, the judgment is typically used prospectively to update and govern present and future records.

This means:

the law may say the marriage never validly existed
but historical documents made before the declaration do not simply vanish
rights of third parties and children may be specially protected
future transactions should use the corrected legal status
past transactions may remain historically intelligible while being legally reinterpreted

Understanding this tension is the key to almost every documentary issue after nullity.

XXX. Common mistakes after a declaration of nullity

Many legal problems arise not from the judgment itself, but from poor document handling afterward.

Frequent mistakes include:

failing to secure finality and entry of judgment documents
failing to register and annotate the judgment
remarrying too soon based only on a copy of the decision
continuing to use old marital status in sworn forms
forgetting to change beneficiary designations
ignoring title and property-liquidation issues
assuming children’s records automatically need alteration
inconsistently using maiden and married surnames across agencies
failing to update employer and government records
claiming spousal rights in estate proceedings despite nullity
relying on the theory that “void from the start” means no paperwork is needed

XXXI. Practical categories of documentary effect

The implications of nullity of marriage on legal documents can be grouped into five basic categories:

1. Documents that must be annotated

Most importantly, the marriage record in the civil registry.

2. Documents that must be updated

Current IDs, employment records, government benefit records, beneficiary forms, and similar ongoing-status documents.

3. Documents that remain historical but may need explanation

Old contracts, older IDs, employment forms, prior tax or visa documents, and academic records under a former surname.

4. Documents whose legal effect must be reassessed

Property titles, deeds, spousal consents, estate papers, and beneficiary-based instruments.

5. Documents that may require separate judicial or administrative correction

Certain civil registry entries, title issues, child-related records, and estate documents where nullity alone does not mechanically produce the desired correction.

XXXII. The special issue of good faith and documentary consequences

In Philippine family law, good faith can matter greatly in the consequences of a void marriage, especially regarding property and certain protections. Documentary consequences often depend on whether one or both parties believed in good faith that the marriage was valid.

This may influence:

partition documents
co-ownership claims
benefits claims
reimbursement issues
disputes over improvements and expenses
third-party reliance

The same nullity judgment can therefore produce different documentary consequences depending on the surrounding facts.

XXXIII. Legal effect on spousal authority documents

Documents giving authority because of spousal status may be directly affected:

medical consent forms
next-of-kin authorizations
visitation rights assertions
funeral and burial authority claims
emergency decision-making documents
marital consent to disposition of property

After nullity, a person can no longer safely rely on “I am the spouse” as the legal basis for those documents. Some documents may need replacement with:

parent-based authority
power of attorney
co-owner authority
guardian authority
executor or administrator authority
expressly designated agency documents

XXXIV. Interplay with recognition by private institutions

Private institutions often take a conservative documentary approach. They may continue to treat the person as married until shown:

the final decision
finality certificate
annotated civil registry copy

This can happen with:

banks
schools
employers
hospitals
insurers
condominium corporations
clubs and associations
foreign consulates

A person may be legally correct yet still encounter administrative rejection because the documents submitted are incomplete. The lesson is practical: nullity must be translated into a complete documentary packet.

XXXV. Bottom line

In the Philippines, a declaration of nullity of marriage has consequences far beyond the court case itself. It affects the legal meaning, update requirements, and evidentiary use of a wide range of documents, especially:

marriage registry records
civil status records
identification documents
surname-based records
property and title documents
beneficiary designations
bank and insurance documents
employment and tax records
court pleadings
succession and estate papers
immigration filings
professional and school records

The central legal truth is this: a void marriage may be void from the beginning, but its documentary consequences do not sort themselves out automatically. The judgment must become final, be properly registered and annotated, and then be carried into the relevant documentary systems. Some records remain historical; some must be updated; some must be legally reinterpreted; and some require separate corrective steps.

The most important practical principle is accuracy with sequence. In Philippine legal practice, nullity is not complete at the documentary level until the person has aligned the judgment, the civil registry, the identity records, the property papers, and the status-based claims with one another. Until that happens, the old marriage may be legally void yet still documentarily alive in ways that continue to create risk.