A Petition for a Decree of Lack of Canonical Form (also known as a Lack of Form Petition) is a legal document that is used in ecclesiastical law when a couple seeks to have their marriage validated by the Catholic Church despite not having been married in a valid Catholic ceremony. This type of petition is required when a couple has had a civil or non-Catholic religious marriage ceremony, but the Church has not recognized it as being valid. The petition must be submitted to the diocese where the couple resides, and must be signed by both parties. It must include details of the couple’s marriage, such as the date of the ceremony, the place of the ceremony, and the names of the officiating minister or celebrant. The document must also include a sworn statement from each party affirming that the marriage is valid and that both parties are free to marry in the Church. The most common types of Petition for a Decree of Lack of Canonical Form are the Pauline Privilege and the Patrice Privilege. The Pauline Privilege allows the dissolution of a non-sacramental marriage due to lack of form, if the marriage has not been consummated. The Patrice Privilege allows the dissolution of a non-sacramental marriage due to lack of form, if the marriage has been consummated.