Is a religious ceremony in FL enough for legal marriage?

General Forum
1

So, if a couple has a religious ceremony or something small with close relatives but doesn’t file a marriage license, does that count as a legal marriage in Florida? Or is it just considered cohabitation? Just trying to understand how this works. :sweat_smile:

2

In Florida, you need a marriage license for it to be legally recognized. A religious ceremony alone doesn’t cut it. It’s just cohabitation if there’s no marriage license.

3

Micah said:
In Florida, you need a marriage license for it to be legally recognized. A religious ceremony alone doesn’t cut it. It’s just cohabitation if there’s no marriage license.

Ohh, so the license is the key piece. That makes sense! Thanks for clearing that up. :blush:

4

Yeah, Florida doesn’t recognize common-law marriages unless they were established before 1968. So even if you live together for years, it doesn’t mean you’re legally married unless you get that license.

5

@Natasha
Gotcha, so living together doesn’t automatically make it legal. Makes things clearer now! :sweat_smile:

6

Yep, religious or small ceremonies don’t make a legal marriage in FL. Only if the marriage license is filed. Cohabiting just means you’re living together, not married legally.

7

Natalie said:
Yep, religious or small ceremonies don’t make a legal marriage in FL. Only if the marriage license is filed. Cohabiting just means you’re living together, not married legally.

Exactly! The license is what makes it official. No license, no legal marriage. :upside_down_face:

8

I had a similar situation, was confused too. A marriage license is a must in Florida for it to count legally, even if it’s just a small ceremony. :roll_eyes:

9

Monroe said:
I had a similar situation, was confused too. A marriage license is a must in Florida for it to count legally, even if it’s just a small ceremony. :roll_eyes:

Thanks for confirming, I wasn’t sure how strict it was. I guess it’s pretty black and white, huh?

10

If no license is filed, then it’s cohabitation, not a legal marriage. So simple but kinda confusing at first, right? :sweat_smile:

11

Quinnley said:
If no license is filed, then it’s cohabitation, not a legal marriage. So simple but kinda confusing at first, right? :sweat_smile:

For sure! I was wondering if maybe living together would count as common-law or something, but it’s not the case. Glad it’s clearer now. :sweat_smile: