Am I legally married?

[lavender123]

I just found out my husband may have gotten married in FL in 98 before his divorce was final in 99. We were married in 04. Is my marriage legal and if not, what has to be done to make it that way?

[Mr. Knowitall]

I'm not sure what you are asking - of course your husband got married before he divorced; otherwise he wouldn't have been getting divorced.

Are you saying that he was married to wife #1, got married to wife #2, then divorced wife #1 (but has never divorced wife #2)? And then he married you (wife #3)?

[lavender123]

Yes that's what I'm saying. If he married wife #2 before his divorce was final from wife #1, is that marriage legal or is mine as wife #3?

[Mr. Knowitall]

"It depends". In some states, his subsequent actions may have created a common law marriage to wife #2, or perhaps could have somehow ratified a voidable marriage. Also it is not immediately clear what effect the marriage to wife #2, even if invalid, would have on the validity of his marriage to you. You should get the documentation together (divorce judgment from wife #1, marriage certificate from wife #2, marriage certificate from your marriage), and have them reviewed by a family lawyer.