Legal Bits for Dummies

IE me Right Pre-Marriage course booked for May. Wedding in December. Mr. Jawl has got his letter in the post last week from the bishop declaring his last registry office marriage in the UK to be null and void So we're free to rock and roll in church! Can I start on the next step of doing all the state/legal work? And what do I have to do?

woowoo! yes you can start. you need to ring the local registry office/HSE and get an appointment to register your intent to marry. if marrying on 1st dec, you need to register your intent before 1st september. but you can register ANYTIME before then. http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Find_a_S ... marry.html that website should help you. if you are marrying in a church, you need to get certification of baptism and confirmation from the church you were baptised and confirmed in. these documents need to be stamped by the issuing church within 6mths of the wedding day. i.e. if marrying on the 1st dec, you can apply for certs from the 1st june. the website also gives you the list of where the registrars are in the counties.

Oh I'm so usless at this legal stuff when it comes to weddings? When do you have to register? When do you have to do any of it really?

You can call your local births, deaths and marriages office- it is part of the HSE so you will get the number on their website. It doesnt matter where you register the marriage it can be at your local office where you live now or your orginal home town office etc it doesnt matter. You make an appointment to do the registration and they will send you out a list of stuff that you will need to bring with you on the day for eg, utility bills, birth certs,completed application form etc. it is €150 to register so bring that too!!!! the church stuff has to be dated within 6 months of the wedding so your abit early for that, but the legal stuff can be done at any stage. Hope that helps to get you started. Best of luck, you have a great year full of fun and excitement ahead of you, enjoy it!!!!

[quote="ChristmasBride2010":1ih29scz] but the legal stuff can be done at any stage. [/quote:1ih29scz] you HAVE to give at least 3months notice to register your intent to marry. in saying that, you can do it ANYTIME before the 3 months. they tend to give out appt dates closer to your day to facilitate everyone.

Thank you for that link. Mr. Jawl has a divorce from the UK, and also a certificate from the Catholic Church to say it has been declared null and void by the Catholic church as it was a civil marriage. It just says on the website if your divorce is from abroad (and I guess England is!) then you need to contact them before making an appointment.

This is probably a REALLY stupid question but Letters of Freedom??? I am getting married in my Parish, where do I need to get this letter of freedom?

[quote="Zumba":11cde9z5]This is probably a REALLY stupid question but Letters of Freedom??? I am getting married in my Parish, where do I need to get this letter of freedom?[/quote:11cde9z5] a letter of freedom is from the parish church in every parish you have ever lived in and it says you are not married and have not been married in that parish. i have lived all over the world and parish priest for church we got married in said all we needed was a declaration from our parents stating neither of us had been married before. he is from SA so it suited for his parents to do the same thing. our priest said hard to get all letters of freedom form all the parishes. now some priests do expect you to get them, its something you need to discuss when you meet priest. another alternative is a sworn affidavit stating neither of you have been married, signed by a solicitor. if u have never lived in another parish, and are getting married in the same parish as you have always lived, you dont need a letter of freedom. the church knows you havent been married. that help?

Perfect, thank you PrivateDancer....I have lived in another Parish but not since I was 3!

Thank you. So helpfull. Also the marrage course thing. What's that about? Oh I sould so stupid. But better ask than not know.