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.