But we are married? Aren’t we?

‘With this ring I thee wed…’, but did you? ‘I want a divorce’, but are you legally married?

Weddings are a great time to celebrate, but couples should take care to ensure that if they want to be married to their partner, that the wedding ceremony is legally recognised and valid in the land (country) where it takes place. Otherwise, they could find that their beautiful wedding day was just a memory and wishful thinking. This could have serious, detrimental financial consequences should the relationship ‘turn sour’ or in the  event of the death a partner. It can also affect a father’s parental responsibility for a child. If unmarried, the father will not have automatic parental responsibility for a child. He will need the other parent’s agreement or a court order.