With all of the news coverage about Anna Nicole Smith and her marriage to her lawyer in the Bahamas, the news media keeps saying that her marriage may not have been valid.
I don't know the details but its raised questions in my mind. If you are married overseas is there something that must be done to "validate" a marriage once the spouse is in the US?? Clearly, my husband's here and everything but I just wanted to know if there are any additional forms to fill out or if we have to also get married in the states to make sure its 100% valid. Forgive me if this question sounds dumb but I just gotta know if I missed something.
Also best wishes to those whose spouses have recently arrived in the US.
Full Version: validity of overseas marriages
There is theoretically nothing left to do, but I think that you can take your marriage liscence to your county clerk and get a US liscence issued too, although I know that legally you cannot marry again here as you are already legally married. I think anna nicole is being questioned because she was not there in the country for the alotted amount of time before getting married and she was illegally seeking domicile there as a resident and bogusly gained citizenship by paying a judge or something so she couldnt be extridited back to the US for paternity testing
QUOTE(southernchic @ Feb 8 2007, 05:35 PM) 
With all of the news coverage about Anna Nicole Smith and her marriage to her lawyer in the Bahamas, the news media keeps saying that her marriage may not have been valid.
I don't know the details but its raised questions in my mind. If you are married overseas is there something that must be done to "validate" a marriage once the spouse is in the US?? Clearly, my husband's here and everything but I just wanted to know if there are any additional forms to fill out or if we have to also get married in the states to make sure its 100% valid. Forgive me if this question sounds dumb but I just gotta know if I missed something.
Also best wishes to those whose spouses have recently arrived in the US.
I don't know the details but its raised questions in my mind. If you are married overseas is there something that must be done to "validate" a marriage once the spouse is in the US?? Clearly, my husband's here and everything but I just wanted to know if there are any additional forms to fill out or if we have to also get married in the states to make sure its 100% valid. Forgive me if this question sounds dumb but I just gotta know if I missed something.
Also best wishes to those whose spouses have recently arrived in the US.
Once there is proof of the marriage, no one can doubt it. It becomes questionable when no evidence of marriage is forth coming. Marriage anywhere under the sun is valid once there is documentary proof.
In Anna Nicole Smith's case, they kept saying it was a Commitment Ceremony.
I was married in Accra, Ghana and when I came home, I called the Registrar's office and was told that the marriage is legal and recognized in the USA. However, the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) would not accept my marriage certificate to change my name on my drivers license (they tried to say I had to "register" the marriage in with the Registrar). Social Security and the US Department of State (passport) took it with no problem. Now I have to take my passport with me next time to change my name on the drivers license.
I was married in Accra, Ghana and when I came home, I called the Registrar's office and was told that the marriage is legal and recognized in the USA. However, the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) would not accept my marriage certificate to change my name on my drivers license (they tried to say I had to "register" the marriage in with the Registrar). Social Security and the US Department of State (passport) took it with no problem. Now I have to take my passport with me next time to change my name on the drivers license.
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