Dream of getting married on a beach?

If you’re planning to get married abroad this summer, it is worth making sure that the marriage is actually legally binding according to the law of the country you are visiting.

Religious wedding ceremonies in other countries may need to be backed up by a civil ceremony, if they are to be genuine marriages. This applies in France and Italy, and in England the same rules apply to Greek Orthodox and certain Muslim wedding ceremonies.

However, if you are not validly married, and the relationship breaks down, there is no protection from a financial settlement, as demonstrated in the case of Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger.

The couple’s Balinese wedding was invalid because under Balinese law, only Muslim marriages can be validly conducted. When they dissolved their relationship, the marriage was declared ‘null and void’ although Jerry Hall still managed to obtain a multi-million pound settlement.

As far as English Law goes, if a couple’s marriage is not valid because the ceremony did not legally marry them (even if they appear to be married) – it is still possible for one spouse to obtain a financial settlement against the other. This is possible where the ‘Petitioner spouse’ thought they had actually gone through a lawful marriage ceremony and acted as married thereafter.

If you’d like advice about marriage and financial settlements, please contact Alistair Dobson on 01858 445480.