As a newly ordained minister how can I make sure that a marriage ceremony is legal?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
As a newly ordained minister how can I make sure that a marriage ceremony is legal?
My father-in-law and his fiance are getting married in 2 months. They want me to marry them so I got ordained. I was wondering if there was anything I needed to do legally? I have ordered marriage certificates that I can issue but I wondered if I need to have that notarized by the county or something. Is there something I need to do to ensure their marriage is legal or will the marriage license take care of that?
Asked on August 21, 2011 Alabama
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
The best thing for you to do is to check with the county clerk's office in your area and ask about this matter as well as maybe calling the state attorney general's office to see if it is necessary for you to file anything with the state or county prior to the ceremony. If you have been legallly and properly ordained by a recognized ministry then you were issued a license, correct? That really should be enough. Under Alabama law I believe that after you perform the ceremony Ministers must provide a certificate of the marriage to the judge of probate within one month after the marriage. Good luck to all.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.