According to United States marriage laws, a marriage was created as the result of a voluntary agreement between a man and a woman to become husband and wife, without the necessity of certification by the church or the state. Marriage law is usually regulated by nations or states, with rights and duties imposed by statute. At present, most jurisdictions, marriage laws will permit marriage only between a man and a woman, and will not permit either to have multiple spouses. A legal marriage can be ended by death, divorce, or annulment. Before a set wedding date, it is important to learn the requirements for getting married in a specific jurisdiction. Usually the requirements will be made clear to both parties when they apply for a marriage license. Some marriage law mandates attendance at a counseling session, or a video presentation, meant to introduce some of the issues that a newly married couple might face, or counsel on avoidance of sexually transmitted disease. Almost all marriage laws restrict who can get married, to prevent unions between close relatives. Sometimes these marriage laws also extend to in laws and step relatives. Similarly, marriage law prohibit marriage where one spouse is already married, and will hold a marriage invalid even if that spouse mistakenly thought that a prior marriage had been ended by divorce or annulment. For a formal marriage, a marriage license is required that is usually accompanied by a small license fee. At the time of the wedding ceremony, the person who performs the ceremony will ordinarily complete a certificate of marriage, which is signed by witnesses to the marriage, and which is filed with the state to record the completion of the marriage. In some states marriage law requires that the certificate of marriage is incorporated into the marriage license. Most marriage laws no longer automatically change the wife’s name upon marriage, but leave the name change to the discretion of the woman. When the woman desires to effect a legal name change, she must submit proof of the marriage, along with a name change form to appropriate government agencies. These agencies include the Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain a new driver’s license and to change title on motor vehicles, the Social Security Administration, the state’s voter registry, banks, and credit card companies.
Marriage Law
May 5th, 2010Gay Marriage Rights
May 5th, 2010Until 2004, gay couples couldn’t wed anywhere in the country. Now, gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, Maine and most recently New Hampshire. Despite these historic strides by the gay marriage rights movement, though, the United States is still a nation divided over whether to redefine marriage. The California Supreme Court upheld the state’s voter-approved constitutional ban on gay marriage rights, but ruled that some the eighteen thousand gay couples who wed before Proposition eight took effect would still be married under state law. Twenty nine other states have created voter approved prohibitions blocking gay marriage in their state constitution as a way to keep state judges from overturning the bans. A majority of Americans still oppose full marriage rights for gay couples, however they still believe that gay marriage rights are necessary. The Northeast is growing as a stronghold of government recognition of gay relationships, with legal wedlock in five states including Vermont as of Sept. 1, 2009, and Maine as of Sept. 16, 2009, if the law is not suspended because of a voter movement to repeal it, and New Hampshire as of Jan. 1, 2010. In the same region, Maine, Connecticut, New Jersey and the District of Columbia also offer legal alternatives known as civil unions and domestic partnerships. New York and Rhode Island recognize out-of-state marriages of gay partners. Still however, gay marriage rights are not clearly accepted nor defined everywhere.
Gay Marriage
May 5th, 2010One of the most controversial topics in the United States is gay marriage. In the United States the constitution states that marriage is defined as the union between a man and a woman. Since the nation was founded based on the principles of the constitution, most people agree. Unfortunately, in the United States exists a large population of lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual people. These individuals are fighting currently to have gay marriage legalized in the United States a whole. The argument is that the constitution interprets marriage in the reflection of a religious assumption and assertion. The United States being the land of the free, contradicts itself when it imposes ways of life on people. Many gays believe that gay marriage laws are in direct violation of there constitutional rights, thus making them unconstitutional. Additionally, there is not set religion or requirement to believe in one, so the basis of gay marriage laws on the religious view is a direct contradiction to the constitution. Many gays have fought to have gay marriage laws reversed and have not yet succeeded on a national level. Some people believe that gay marriage should be allowed because it doesn’t directly affect them. These people believe that gay marriage would give gays benefits regarding taxes, health, adoption, etc.. Additionally, many believe that it is wrong for the government to judge who someone has sexual relations with. After all, the only difference between gay and straight people, is who they have sexual relations with, right? Well, others on the opposite end of the gay marriage issue believe that the union known as marriage is sacred, and to change it would just be wrong. Most people are married in churches, giving validity to the gay marriage laws in respect to that fact alone. The current status of gay marriage laws have made it hard for gay couples to function in society normally. This disadvantage has forced many to live in the shadows of there lifestyle, and many times hide it. Additionally, they are often forced to separate themselves from “ordinary people”.