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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:
burnoutbabe · 15/07/2021 22:49

They can just tick the never married box and not have to show details of their last divorce at all.

But that is a crime but people do commit bigamy so they must just tick the never married box. And you can't show any proof of that one so the registrar just takes their word for it.

BaronessBomburst · 15/07/2021 22:52

I know someone like this. Wife number 5 does know that she's wife number 5, but they're keeping it quiet as far as her friends and family are concerned.

Original poster
Nickersnackersnockers · 15/07/2021 22:52

Ah yes alternative there is a litter of offspring he added to over the years and he had already fathered one before he met me at 16. I did not have any with him but the best friend had two with him. I wonder how many kids he has admitted to as he is estranged from a few afaik

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tribpot · 15/07/2021 22:58

Much married, unclear about how many children he has, propensity for lying ...

I'm beginning to think we all know who Wife Number 5 is.

TomorrowIsAnotherDae · 15/07/2021 23:02

Are you out to ruin marriage number 5 OP? Why are you so bothered about your ex?

PurpleOkapi · 15/07/2021 23:16

@BillyShears

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.
Then what's to stop someone currently married to Wife 2 from showing the decree from his divorce from Wife 1, and committing bigamy by marrying Wife 3?
AlternativePerspective · 15/07/2021 23:21

What I always wonder is how someone who is wife number 3, 4 or 5 gets together with someone like that and thinks “oh yes,, I know that I must be the one.”

LaChatte · 15/07/2021 23:38

Is it Boris?

Seesawmummadaw · 15/07/2021 23:48

Why do you think wife number 5 doesn’t know about the others.

Original poster
Nickersnackersnockers · 16/07/2021 09:13

I think she knows about two or three.

Tomorrow I am not bothered about my ex but am massively entertained by it. Don't ruin my fun ffs.

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FlyingBattie · 16/07/2021 09:48

@AlternativePerspective

What I always wonder is how someone who is wife number 3, 4 or 5 gets together with someone like that and thinks “oh yes,, I know that I must be the one.”
This. 1 divorce I can understand. maybe 2, depending. I would tread very carefully if I was potential wife 3, 4 or 5, though!
ShippingNews · 16/07/2021 09:59

DH and I were married in the register office. It was my 2nd marriage and his 3rd. We only had to show that we were free to marry - that meant we had to show our divorce papers. He wasn't asked if he had any former wives at all - just that he was legally divorced.

IRanSoFarAway1 · 16/07/2021 10:02

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waterSpider · 16/07/2021 11:48

@Nickersnackersnockers

I think she knows about two or three.

Tomorrow I am not bothered about my ex but am massively entertained by it. Don't ruin my fun ffs.

"I think she knows about two or three."

Er -- even that is a bit of a range.

Maybe he's just forgotten some of his marriages?

AnoymousCoward · 16/07/2021 11:58

When we married, the registrar asked DH very pointedly "have you been married before in this or any other country?"

He said 'no', and they moved on. Obviously he couldn't show documents to prove this (and we had been together for 10years, since 18yo- he'd have struggled to be married elsewhere before we met!)

AnoymousCoward · 16/07/2021 11:59

Five wives though...goodness me.

Original poster
Nickersnackersnockers · 16/07/2021 12:59

Five wives. Yes I know. I'm embarrassed to have been one of them.

He's a serial arsehole Grin

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Original poster
Nickersnackersnockers · 16/07/2021 13:02

Oh and he left every wife for another woman. Nice.

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Original poster
Nickersnackersnockers · 16/07/2021 13:06

He left me for my best friend as I mentioned upthread. Just can't keep it in his trousers. He wasn't that great with it anyway Grin

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RedToothBrush · 16/07/2021 13:06

@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.
Tell me, why do you think he's divorced so many times, because its a complete mystery to me!!!

Do you have a sweep stake on how long this one will last?

Ozanj · 16/07/2021 13:07

Not for civil registry weddings but most religious weddings will have some kind of burden of proof. In Islamic weddings, for example, one way a Muslim man shows he is a family man is by demonstrating to his new bride’s family that he is / has supported his ex-wives financially. But it only applies for past Muslim marriages. Same with Christian marriages but again only really applies for that denomination / if you married in church. In Hinduism men can only marry religiously 4 times & evidence is required each time.

LittleTiger007 · 16/07/2021 13:11

I am my husbands third wife. His first marriage was when he was very young and they divorced. The second marriage was good and sadly she died and he was widowed. He told me all of this right from the get go but at our wedding he was only required to mention his last wedding and show both the marriage certificate and her death certificate.

Original poster
Nickersnackersnockers · 16/07/2021 15:07

redtoothbrush he's been divorced so many times because he can't keep it in his trousers. He's a good looking man, he knows it, and he'll really mean it when he says he's changed his ways. He really can charm the birds from the trees. In his line of work he meets women who catch his eye and off he goes again.

It's a shame really as his father was the same. Still at it in his 70's. His mum told him he had upset so many people he would die a lonely old man. And he did. Completely alone. Hedonism at its best. Or worst.

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leakymcleakleak · 16/07/2021 15:15

This is something I think people miss when they talk about marriage having a 50/50 chance of divorce.

In reality, its 50/50 if you take into account every marriage, including this guy's 5th marriage, but in reality his marriage has so much less of a chance of working out. So if you marry for the first time to someone else getting married for the first time, your odds are actually much better: but if its your third marriage the odds are much worse. The 'one in two marriages end in divorce" stats are about all marriages, and the second + ones are much more likely to fail - presumably because once you've left one miserable relationship/cheated on your spouse/decided you're not going to put up with any crap, you're more likely to repeat the same behaviour.

Though yes, I think by wife 5 you either need a really good explanation or a way to fudge the numbers. Equally if you married at 17, it sounds like he's basically married everyone he's been in a relationship with, in which case 5 isn't so crazy.

Original poster
Nickersnackersnockers · 16/07/2021 15:43

I think you've nailed it leaky

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