| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Brian Westley" |
| Date: |
06 Jun 2006 03:07:29 PM |
| Object: |
Clergy screws up, hundreds not legally married in Ohio |
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/irresistible/9326686/detail.html
HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio -- Hundreds of couples in Ohio are discovering
their marriages never existed -- at least not in the eyes of the law.
"We're seeing more of the problem," Hamilton County Probate Judge James
Cissel told Cincinnati television station WLWT.
Mary Greenwood said she was shocked to learn that her marriage of nine
years was not considered legal in the state of Ohio.
She discovered the problem when she retired and began to file the
necessary paperwork to receive Social Security.
One of the items she needed was a copy of her marriage certificate.
When she called Hamilton County, she was informed that the state had no
legal record of her marriage.
"They told me they had a copy of it but that it was never completed by
my priest back in 1972," said Greenwood.
Several months of paperwork later, Greenwood finally received the
necessary documentation to prove she had been legally married.
"It was very aggravating and a big headache," said Greenwood.
Cissel said other couples have discovered that their marriages were
officiated by priests who weren't legally able to perform marriages in
the state of Ohio.
"A minister has to be registered in the state, but a lot of ministers
coming from out of state fail to do this and that makes the marriage
voidable," said Cissel.
Cissel said he currently has about 200 open cases of couples who thought
they were legally married but discovered they were not.
Cissel also reminded couples who are planning to be married to be sure
they tie the knot within 60 days of applying for a marriage license.
He said marriages performed after 60 days are not legal.
The only way to solve the problem is to apply for another license and
get married again.
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