May Not Have Been Legally Married, Trying to Get Divorce
My question involves a marriage in the state of: Pennsylvania and Virginia
I was married in the state of PA approximately 16 years ago. I have lived in Virginia for the past 15 years and am now in the process of getting a divorce.
It has come to my attention that the "minister" that officiated my marriage in PA was not considered a valid officiant in PA, so my PA marriage is effectively null and void.
What does this mean for my divorce in VA? Can i even get a divorce in VA? We both believed we were legally married until I went to obtain a copy of the license. This is a huge mess, as I also adopted two of his children. How do I ensure the agreement we sign regarding property can not be overturned. And should we file in civil or domestic court or both?
Re: May Not Have Been Legally Married, Trying to Get Divorce
I see nothing that would render a marriage voidable or void based upon a misunderstanding of the minister's credentials. If you want to know if your marriage is valid, you may bring a court action for that purpose. Or you can simply proceed with your divorce and end it, rather than having to go through an annulment.
Re: May Not Have Been Legally Married, Trying to Get Divorce
Was the marriage certificate returned to the county by the officiant? If they accepted it back, you're married. What makes you think that he was not official? PA is pretty lenient in what they accept as credentials for officiants (and they can be filed in either the county the ceremony is to take place or in the officiant's home county).