Full question:
I am a resident of Washington. I got married to an Indian last year. We were married in the presence of a priest, who claimed to be authorized under law to solemnize the marriage. Now he turned to be an unauthorized. Is there any issue regarding the validity of our marriage?
- Category: Marriage
- Date:
- State: Washington
Answer:
In Washington, your marriage is still valid even if the officiant was unauthorized. As long as you and your spouse believed that the marriage was solemnized by an authorized person, the marriage cannot be invalidated due to the officiant's lack of authority. According to RCW § 26.04.060, a marriage solemnized by someone professing to be a minister or similar official is not void if it was consummated with that belief.
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