Checking the validity of your marriage

In some circumstances, a marriage may not be valid in UK law. We can establish the validity of your marriage and if it is not currently valid our lawyers can advise you on how to proceed.

There are two main situations in which a marriage may not be valid:

• In some countries, your wedding abroad will mean that the marriage is valid in the UK.

This is not always the case. Perhaps the most famous case where an overseas wedding later caused problems was the marriage between Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, which was conducted in Bali in 1991 and later was brought into doubt when the couple split up in 1999.

• If the wedding was held in the UK but not in an approved place.

In England and Wales approved places include a register office, a building approved for civil marriage, an Anglican church or another religious building that is registered for the solemnisation of marriage.

It is very important that you act now if you have any doubts about the validity of your marriage. Failure to do so could mean you run into serious problems later on, especially if your relationship ends and you try to reach a settlement with your partner.

Checking the validity of your marriage Lawyers

Hannah Byatt BA (Hons)

Partner - Team Leader Family

Farhana Butt LLB

Partner - Family Mediator & Collaborative Lawyer

Katie Coles LLB (Hons)

Solicitor