Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

The Matrimonial StrategistFeaturesKickerLJN NewslettersNewsSections

When There Is No License, Is There a Marriage?

By Martin E. Friedlander
December 31, 2015

You know the drill: In an initial interview of a divorcing client, there is a list of routine, background-information questions to be asked. Of course, these include the question, “Have you ever been married before?” Subsequent follow-up questions would include the number of prior marriages and how they ended.

So, consider this situation: In the midst of a matrimonial proceeding, an undisclosed fact comes to light ' the client was previously religiously married and obtained a religious divorce, but never obtained a marriage license or civil divorce. The client assumed that the first marriage was not recognized by the state because the parties did not obtain a marriage license. Having obtained a religious divorce, she then assumed she could move on without restriction. (Editor's Note: For more on religious divorce, see Mark Momjian: “'Getting' It Done Through Social Media and Other Forms of Protest,” The Matrimonial Strategist, August 2015, available at http://bit.ly/1HA4tmg.)

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.

Protecting Innovation in the Cyber World from Patent Trolls Image

With trillions of dollars to keep watch over, the last thing we need is the distraction of costly litigation brought on by patent assertion entities (PAEs or "patent trolls"), companies that don't make any products but instead seek royalties by asserting their patents against those who do make products.