BL42: You said "My view is we did make vows and lived together for 7 years as spouses and had two kids together, so it's silly to pretend a marriage never existed."
I'm going to make an assumption, based on your interest in the topic, that you are Catholic. Our faith says that a marriage cannot end. So, if your marriage ended, it could not have been a marriage by that definition - at least that's how I think of it. And I would hope for myself, that I can actually enjoy a real marriage.
So I think the value of discovery in the documents and discussion with the deacon or priest is helpful to do an autopsy on the "marriage" but there is also some grace in having the marriage annulled. I just spoke to a friend the other day who went through the process and got an annulment and he was happy I'm going through it. He said it really helped him, brought closure, and lifted a spiritual weight.
