| New Marriage/Divorce Laws
PennsylvaniaWhat is the name of your state?
I am a wedding officiant in Pennsylvania. There is a law here that states a wedding officiant may not marry a couple (perform a ceremony) without the couple having the proper marriage license.
I'm OK with that; but in January 1, 2005 a new law was signed by Governer Rendell describing common-law marriages.
In order for a common law marriage to be found to be valid, the party must prove that the man & woman, BEFORE TWO WITNESSES, declared their present intent to be married by saying to each other words similar to: "From this day forward, I consider you to be my wife/husband."
I have had requests to perform ceremonies for couples who wish to remain in a common-law situation, but I see a conflict here between some of these laws. I suppose the couples are really asking me to be a Witness to their private ceremony, and not a wedding officiant.
Could I become a legal WITNESS to private, common-law marriages when these couples say their vows to each other? Let's say I'm acting only as a Witness, would I be able to charge a fee for such a service, as I do for officiating at weddings? Could I become a professional WITNESS in addition to being a wedding officiant?  | 
Linear Mode
