If a marrage license was never file are we legally married?
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If a marrage license was never file are we legally married?
We had a ceremony but the marrage license were never filed
Asked on December 24, 2016 under Family Law, Maryland
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
When you apply for a license, you are granted permission by the state to get married and it is signed at the time of the wedding by the officiating person (judge, priest, reverend, etc.) and the witnesses (typically the best man and matron/maid of honor). After that, you are supposed to return it to the county clerk's office within a certain period of time. If the license was not returned within the specified amount of time from the ceremony (depending on the state/county), may not be legally married. At this point, go back down to the courthouse to discover what the problem is. it may just be that a mistake was made and chances are someone simply did not look enough for it. If when you go back they still cannot find it, you need to find out what they say about it; they may tell you that the marriage is not legal or they may tell you that it is. Bottom line, either you or your attorney needs to find out if your marriage is official. At this point, you should consult directly with local counsel who can best advise you further.
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