 In Vermont, a wife must obtain written permission from her husband before wearing false teeth.  In Wichita, Kansas, the mistreatment of mothers-in-law can be used as grounds for divorce.  In the town of Truro on Cape Cod, the groom- to-be must prove his manliness before marriage by hunting and killing either six blackbirds or three crows. MARRIAGE LAWS

 In Kentucky, it is illegal to marry the same man four times!  For a brief period in 2007 to 2008, it was legal in Arkansas for children under the age of 18 to get married, without parental consent.  It's illegal kiss your wife in public on Sundays in Hartford, Connecticut.  In Utah, first cousins can marry if both are at least 65 years old and first cousins over the age of 55 can marry if neither is able to reproduce.  In Mississippi, a marriage license will not be issued if the applicants appear to be drunk, insane or imbeciles

 In New Orleans, mystics, fortune tellers and palm readers may not perform marriage ceremonies  In South Carolina, it is a misdemeanor for a man over the age of 16 to seduce and deceive a woman by promising to marry her.  In Delaware, an annulment is permitted if one or both parties entered into the marriage as a dare.  In Montana, the bride and groom do not have to be present during the wedding

CHAPTER 31 MARRIAGE

 Personal and civil contract  “At the time of engagement, there is an agreement containing consideration (a promise to give up the legal right to remain single) between two parties who have the capacity to contract, by mutual consent and for a legal purpose.”  In some states a man gets the ring (a contingency gift) back, in others the woman gets to keep the ring if the man calls off the engagement.  The marriage is executed when the wedding occures  In some states the dumped party can sue for damages THE ENGAGEMENT

 Rights given by law when you marry  The right to support by your spouse when necessary  The right to inheritance from your deceased spouse  The right to property if the marriage ends  The right to compensation to continue your standard of living if the marriage ends.  The right to file a joint income tax return  Employee benefits rights Duties  Duty to be faithful  Duty to provide support for spouse MARRIAGE CONTRACT

 Written agreement concerning the property they will own during their marriage.  Sets forth how things will be handled in the event of a death or divorce.  Must be signed by both parties  celebrity-prenups.html celebrity-prenups.html PREMARITAL AGREEMENTS

 Between certain relatives by consanguinity (Blood) or affinity (marriage)  One party to two or more parties at the same time  In most states, marriage between those of the opposite sex PROHIBITED MARRIAGES ConsanguinityAffinity Mother or FatherStepmother or father Grandmother or GrandfatherStep grandmother or father Daughter or sonStep daughter or son Granddaughter or sonStep granddaughter or son Aunt or UncleMother in law or father in law Sister or brotherGrandmother/father in law Niece or NephewDaughter in law or son in law Granddaughter in law or grandson in law

 Bigamy – 2 spouses  Polygamy – more than2 spouses at once  These are crimes under the laws of every state  Children born out of an illegal marriage or people who are not married are called illegitimate BIGAMY AND POLYGAMY

 Must be 18 to be married without parental consent  Common-law-marriage- no ceremony needed. Two people just agree to be married and it can be written or oral.  11 state still recognize common law marriage.  Meet the following standards  Both parties must agree in present tense that they are married  They must live together for a certain period of time (varies between states), and present themselves to the public as husband and wife.  A divorce is required to end a common law marriage MARRIAGE LAWS

 In some states, the court requires a couple to go through marriage counseling before they are married, during marriage if there is a conflict, and will only let them get a divorce after 2 years of separation.  Proxy marriage – Both parties do not have to be present. There can be a stand in. COVENANT MARRIAGE

 a certificate issued by government officials that gives permission for two people to be married.  Waiting Period – each state as a certain amount of time to give each party time to think about their decision.  Some states require a blood test and/or physical exam – full disclosure MARRIAGE LICENSE

 A wife does not have to adopt her husband’s surname  What would be the benefit for adopting his surname?  What would be a disadvantage for adopting his surname? USE OF VARIOUS NAMES