Seven Strange Marriage & Divorce Laws Around the Country

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There’s no shortage of strange laws that can be found legers across the country, and marriage laws are no exception to this rule. Here are a few of the most strange and surprising marriage and divorce laws that can be found across our nation.

Be Nice to Your Mother-in-Law: In Wichita, Kansas, it’s considered viable grounds for divorce if a husband in any way mistreats his mother-in-law. No matter how intolerable she might be, gentlemen, you had better stay on her good side!

Prove Your Worthiness: There are stories and tales of all types about husbands having to prove their worthiness to their potential bride’s father or family before they allow the marriage to proceed, but have you ever heard of having to prove your worthiness to the government? In Truro, a small town on Cape Cod, a law on the books says that a groom-to-be must prove he’s worthy to marry by hunting either six blackbirds or three crows.

No Drunken Mistakes Here: The state of Mississippi wants to make sure all betrothed couples are in the right frame of mind before signing a marriage license, and as such have a law on the books that says if either you or your soon-to-be spouse are drunk, insane or “an imbecile” (yes, that’s actually the word they use), the clerk can deny your license. Tennessee has a similar anti-drunken marriage law on the books as well.

Three Times is Enough: It seems like sometimes you just can’t stop someone from making the same mistake over and over again. Well in Kentucky, the law finally puts an end to it. In the Bluegrass State, it’s against the law for a woman to marry the same man four times. Just in case the first three divorces weren’t enough of a lesson that maybe things won’t work out.

Don’t Listen to the Palm Reader: New Orleans is known for its unique Creole-rich culture, which includes a number of psychics and palm readers. However, if one says you and your significant other should get married immediately and offers to officiate the ceremony, don’t listen to them. It’s against the law for a psychic or palm reader to conduct a marriage ceremony.

Wedding? Can’t Squeeze It Into the Schedule: Four states allow for “marriage by proxy” weddings to facilitate for servicemen and women who may be abroad on deployment or other assigned duties. In California, Colorado, Texas, and Montana, you can conduct a wedding where one of the parties isn’t present and someone else stands in their place. Montana even allows double-proxy weddings where neither party is present.

Prank of the Year?: In Texas, annulments are only granted when a marriage begins under illegitimate circumstances. However, in Delaware an annulment can be granted if you got married as a prank or a dare. What’s even more baffling: only one party has to be in on the prank or the dare for the annulment to be granted.

Need help navigating the laws regarding your divorce? Speak with a Killeen divorce attorney by calling Attorney Brett Prichard today at (254) 220-4225!
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