need a pig of said wife to make a proper judgement***

Oculus Spirit [97664]

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Run in to that more often than you would think

Oct 31, 2018, 11:10 AM

I'd wager there are 10,000+ people in SC who THINK they're married, but technically are not LEGALLY married. Around 2% would be my estimate based on experience. Extrapolate that out to however many people are married in SC.

Rule of thumb (in SC anyway) is after the honeymoon or whatever, GO TO THE COURTHOUSE. Go to the county probate court. Get a CERTIFIED COPY of your marriage license. When they place that sealed and certified marriage license in your hand, you're married. Without doing this, you are running a risk that can cause people like me (or your surviving spouse) BIG headaches years down the road.

Here's how the process works, FYI. You go to the probate court and APPLY for a marriage license. I think there's a wait of at least 48 hours before the signed ceremony affidavit can be returned. BUT, when you're at the church or wherever, and you sign that affidavit, and the preacher/notary/whoever signs it, DO NOT keep a copy of that document and think you're married. You're not. That document MUST be returned to the probate court (church usually does this). Once the ceremony affidavit is received by the probate court, you're married. IF the church fails for some reason to deliver the documents to the probate court, you're NOT MARRIED. The probate court can not issue a license until the ceremony affidavit is returned. Otherwise, they only keep a record of your APPLICATION. They can't issue a certified license.

ALSO, if you get a divorce and remarry, make sure you have a final certified copy of the divorce decree. The date on the very last page where the family court judge signs the decree, THAT is the date of your divorce. You CAN NOT legally marry a second time until AFTER that date. If the family court clerk tells you the judge will sign it tomorrow, DO NOT assume he will. He may come down with the flu and miss a few days. Have that final decree in hand, signed and dated by the judge, before getting married a second time. Some people are anxious and can't wait. WAIT until you have the document.

South Carolina is backwards in this respect, and in fact counties that border Georgia, etc. have a little cottage industry going with marriage licenses. See, in other states (like Georgia), when you apply for a marriage license and indicate it's your 2nd, 3rd, or whatever marriage, the probate courts in Georgia REQUIRE documentation proving ALL prior marriages ended (that's either a divorce decree or a death certificate). One of the highlights of my job is confirming a marriage. It's something I would not even need to do in Georgia, but it is needed in SC. First I get a copy of the license. THEN I get copies of death certificates or divorce decrees ending all prior marriages (for both parties). THEN you're married. In SC. But you can get married 2,3,4 times or more in the same county even, without ever getting a divorce. They just take you at your word. lol

Anyway, end of PSA. Carry on.

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license from the county probate court, there IS a chance you're not married. 75 year old southern baptist man in Greer's wife died. They'd been married 50 years. First and only marriage for both. Had 2.3 kids. Regular Ozzy and Harriet family if there was one. Husband's brother was a baptist preacher and did the ceremony in 1960 something.

Asked guy for a copy of his marriage license. Said he never got one. He didn't think it was important. No big deal, I'll go get a copy at the courthouse. Go to the Spartanburg County Probate Court. The clerk informs me they can not issue a license. All they have is a record of the application. The ceremony affidavit was never filed (husband's own BROTHER didn't file it). Meanwhile, in the past 50 years his brother who did the ceremony died. He's not legally married and can't get the insurance benefits. Guy is left with two options, and he chose the easier one luckily. Option 1 is to get a lawyer, and petition the Probate Court to rule the couple were married under common law. That is a HUGE pain. Other option was to have his sister-in-law sign an affidavit confirming she attended and witnessed the ceremony and the signature. Guy ended up getting a license and the benefits. But he lived 50 years never being legally married and had no clue.

That's why you get a copy for yourself from the courthouse. If they place that license in your hand at the courthouse, you're married. Congrats (or not). Oh, unless your prior divorce was not signed by the judge until after the wedding ceremony. Other way you can not be married. Or you never bothered ending that prior marriage.

Like I said, I'd wager there are well over 10,000 people married in SC who are not legally married. Anyone know a legislator in Columbia and want a good bill to introduce....introduce a bill that makes SC probate courts do what they do in GA, VA, and most other states.

So, coworker got married in Atlanta a few days ago.

I'd say that the pastor did him a huge solid

Worse

it gets worse

No signature no deal

I guess that all depends on the deity.

what denomination was the pastor?***

Run in to that more often than you would think

So you're saying there's a chance

Yes. If you don't have a certified copy of your marriage

Surprising they lasted that long

I think that average number has dropped. It's dated.***

Thanks for the insight, I did the ole copy pasta for him.

That's what the southern baptist guy said to me

Re: Yes. If you don't have a certified copy of your marriage

Sure. It takes a probate court hearing, in front of a judge

lol...re-marriage***

With divorce running a muck, why bother?***

TIL that tiggity

Oh, I've never heard of anyone prosecuted.

Who would get divorced and then remarry within a month or so???

Well, don't wanna get hitched, bring up prenup stuff and

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