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Divorce/separation

Here you'll find divorce help and support from other Mners. For legal advice, you may find Advice Now guides useful.

Original poster

Does a person have to declare ALL previous marriages

58 replies

Nickersnackersnockers · 15/07/2021 20:03

Can't find the answer to this does anyone know?

Say for instance a man wants to marry his fifth wife. He has divorced the first 4 - all above board. He is getting married to his fifth. Wife number 5 knows he's been married before. But can he leave a couple of wives out or would it be documented and unavoidable information that he has 4 previous wives?

Thanks in advance Smile

OP posts:
custardbear · 15/07/2021 20:04

Wow that's a lot of marriages 😋
No idea but I'd have thought so if it's a legal document

GolfEchoRomeoTangoIndia · 15/07/2021 20:37

If you’re attempting a church marriage (bit of a big ask) then you’d definitely be expected to declare them all. Don’t know about registry.

Regardless of whether it’s legally required or whether it will be obvious from the paperwork, it is IMO morally very wrong to conceal something like that from a future spouse.

JanFebAnyMonth · 15/07/2021 20:45

Hmm you are expected to declare them all for a wedding in church, but that doesn’t mean everyone would. IME.

I think legally you just have to show and declare that you are free to marry, ie not currently married, over 18 and of sound mind. So no, you wouldn’t need to declare all previous marriages.

Original poster
Nickersnackersnockers · 15/07/2021 20:47

Yes I agree it's morally wrong. Man and wife no 5 married in a register office. Would it have been obvious for all to see there were 4 previous wives or just a general 'divorced'?

OP posts:
TakeYourFinalPosition · 15/07/2021 21:01

I don’t think it’d be mentioned in a registry office… maybe when giving notice, but that’s generally quite private?

My Dad wasn’t asked about his previous marriages at his registry office wedding.

Original poster
Nickersnackersnockers · 15/07/2021 21:31

Really'? So it could be kept from the current wife then. That sounds like it's not a legal requirement to declare how many marriages he has had, only that he has been married previously. Can that really be true.

OP posts:
BillyShears · 15/07/2021 21:44

A friend of mine who married for the second time in a registry office had to prove that she was free to marry by showing her decree absolute. Had you been married multiple times there’s be no need fo show more than that one previous DA I don’t think. You could easily keep it a secret.

30degreesandmeltinghere · 15/07/2021 21:55

I told dh about his previous 3 predecessors!! He needed to know how high my boundaries were these days!!

CarpeVitam · 15/07/2021 22:00

@30degreesandmeltinghere

I told dh about his previous 3 predecessors!! He needed to know how high my boundaries were these days!!
Love it! 👍
TotorosCatBus · 15/07/2021 22:01

I believe you show the divorce paperwork for the last marriage and you're free to book the wedding.

JanFebAnyMonth · 15/07/2021 22:02

Why wouldn’t it be true:

a) there’s no legal requirement to declare your whole life history upon marriage

b) the rules were invented well before serial marriages were a thing, at least in this country.

Morally is an entirely different matter!

HeyManIJustWantSomeMuesli · 15/07/2021 22:06

Fairly sure you need to prove you are legally free to marry so only most recent divorce would be relevant.

HeyManIJustWantSomeMuesli · 15/07/2021 22:07

@TotorosCatBus sorry x-post

FlyingBattie · 15/07/2021 22:13

I think it's a lie of omission not to tell your intended spouse.

It's probably not relevant to the registrar (as long as you can evidence you are free to marry now), but religious places will have their own rules.

FlyingBattie · 15/07/2021 22:14

@TotorosCatBus

I believe you show the divorce paperwork for the last marriage and you're free to book the wedding.
I don't understand why you'd need to. If you wanted to lie, you could deny ever being married before?
MushMonster · 15/07/2021 22:19

You fo need to show your decree nisi for your divorce to the register, at the time of booking it. Otherwise, they will not marry you.
They then advertise your imminent marriage for a few days, and you are ready to go!

Original poster
Nickersnackersnockers · 15/07/2021 22:33

Wow. I think he has forgotten to mention at least two wives to current wife number five. Of which I am wife number one and my best friend who became my ex best friend when he married her but is now my best friend again is wife number two. If you follow.

OP posts:
PearlNextDoor · 15/07/2021 22:37

I know that marriage certs will say bachelor/widow/ divorce but there's no box for "four times"

He's not looking like a good catch :-/

FlyingBattie · 15/07/2021 22:37

@Nickersnackersnockers

Wow. I think he has forgotten to mention at least two wives to current wife number five. Of which I am wife number one and my best friend who became my ex best friend when he married her but is now my best friend again is wife number two. If you follow.
It's definitely morally wrong to not mention previous wives to number 5!
Original poster
Nickersnackersnockers · 15/07/2021 22:39

God we could have so much fun with this Grin

OP posts:
Changechangychange · 15/07/2021 22:40

@Nickersnackersnockers

Wow. I think he has forgotten to mention at least two wives to current wife number five. Of which I am wife number one and my best friend who became my ex best friend when he married her but is now my best friend again is wife number two. If you follow.
He sounds like he has a very tangled love life… Confused
Changechangychange · 15/07/2021 22:40

Are you sure you were wife number 1? Maybe you were wife 5 or 8.

Seesawmummadaw · 15/07/2021 22:43

Sounds very exciting

AlternativePerspective · 15/07/2021 22:44

Are you sure you were wife 1? Wink

TBH I don’t know in this country, but in SA where I grew up divorce is mentioned at the wedding. The sister of a friend of mine eloped with her BF to get married and found out when the registrar announced it that he had previously been divorced. Not only that, she found out that he had an 8 year old son he had failed to tell her about.

And she still married him. Shock

Original poster
Nickersnackersnockers · 15/07/2021 22:45

Good point change but we married at 17 and he had been a good boy up til at least 18. Or had he?

OP posts: