I did not expect to ever have to ask this question, but here it goes.
My grandmother had some Thanksgiving wine and, anyways, I found out I was the product of a fling while my mother was married to another man who she didn’t divorce until I was 3, and that she and my father were married, but it was declared void as she was legally still married to that other fellow. I was always told that they never married, and that her past marriage was significantly farther in the past. Quite a thing to process.
But, to the point, on my CSS Profile, etc. I indicated that my parents were never married to one another. Is this still accurate, even with an apparent nullified marriage in the past? Does the legal extirpation of that marriage apply to financial aid as well? Will it affect my financial aid whatsoever (or does it even matter)?
Something that was “nullified” effectively never happened. So I would say your biological father and your Mom “were never married”.
However, since your Mom and her former husband supposedly were indeed still married at the time you were born - your “parents at time of birth” were married (and her former husband was entered as your legal parent?) - then their current legal state would be “divorced.”
You probably should verify that with someone practicing family law - and maybe also obtain registry records so that you have factual information going forward.
The former husband was never entered as a legal parent—they separated but my mother never actually did the divorce paperwork for years. Good idea on the family law, I know someone with that specialty who would probably be willing to answer that question.
I did enter my mother’s status as divorced and my father’s as never married, and then them having been never married to one another. My preliminary guess is that indicating their status of marriage together would remain accurate as never married and you affirmed that, and they were never married to each other.
Sounds factual.
Was your birth father entered as the father, or did he later legally adopt you later? If neither occurred, he‘ll always be your Dad and birth father, but might not have that legal status.
The marital status of your biological parents doesn’t matter. In most states, the father is presumed to be the legal husband of the mother, but if your mother’s husband never claimed you and his name isn’t on your birth certificate, and none of you WANT him to be claimed as your legal father, it’s likely well past the time for any automatic assumptions to kick in.
Just answer the questions as asked. Mother? no change. Bio father? named. Current status? never married.
This shouldn’t change anything on the FAFSA unless your bio father has been contributing more support for you than your mother. On CSS, again just answer the questions.
My take on the situation: You completed the form correctly. If non custodial parent information is required by a school, I assume you would want to request a waiver. In that case, if you haven’t had contact with your father, your mom can help you get whatever documentation you need for the waiver.
Thank you! And no, my mother’s husband was never registered anywhere as my father. Her marriage was in Sweden, her and my father were married (which was voided) in India, and the voiding occurred in the United States. Frankly, I have no idea if her now ex-husband knows I exist, and in any case, he is a different continent and they have not interacted for a decade and a half now.