Full question:
I was married by an ordained minister. There was never a marriage license pulled for this process do I need to get annulment?
- Category: Marriage
- Subcategory: Common Law Marriage
- Date:
- State: Montana
Answer:
No, you may not need an annulment. In Montana, common law marriages are recognized, which means a marriage can be valid even without a license or formal ceremony if certain conditions are met. According to Montana law (Mont. Code Ann. § 40-1-403), common law marriages are valid.
To establish a common law marriage in Montana, the following three requirements must be proven:
- The parties were competent to enter into a marriage.
- The parties mutually consented to assume a marital relationship.
- The parties confirmed their marriage through cohabitation and public recognition.
This was established in the case of In the Matter of the Estate of Ober, 62 P2d 1114, 314 Mont. 20, 2003 MT 7 (2003).
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.