Posted on 09/03/2018 2:47:46 PM PDT by texas booster
KEALAKEKUA — Casually dressed and holding three purple orchids, Leigh Mitchell walked into the District Courtroom, Tuesday, with her husband Randy of the 36 years to get married. As they waited briefly by the courtroom door Randy and Leigh, now both 60 years old, were all smiles and laughs as they told curious onlookers the short version of their story. Two years ago, the couple learned their marriage license was never filed with the courts when they were married in California on Feb. 14, 1982. As a result, they were there that Tuesday to officially record their nuptials...
Their daughter, Katelynn (a lawyer), said, her concerns came from a practical viewpoint and the consequences that come along with no official documentation of their marriage. Things like life insurance and taxes.
(Excerpt) Read more at westhawaiitoday.com ...
Every so often we have to deal with "official" government action, that really does have a solid impact on people and families.
Here is a case from this weekend of a couple who thought they were married in 1982 but their Unitarian minister or the local government failed them.
Lots of us on this board have been married 35+ years and are nearly 60, so I thought it would be of interest, or could help coax a couple of stories from our FR flock.
And to remind everyone that yes, the paperwork is really important, and bureaucrats will hide behind botched paperwork until YOU take the time and money to fix it.
When I was much younger we went to the Unitarian church to pick up cougars and that’s why they went there too. It had zero religious atmosphere. It was a meeting room.
A civil event not recording in Hawaii?
I wonder if these errors occur in Hawaii for events other than marriages... say, births... I mean, seriously, one could have been born there in 1961, and not be actually registered as being born there!
In the old days, common law marriage would have cured the defect. But society has gotten too sophisticated for practical solutions in most of the states.
I wonder how in states without common law marriage how the courts would handle this if it were discovered in a divorce that the marriage was never official?
My sister in law had a similar fiasco. Turned out the minister was not actually ordained. She was not amused.
He mentioned that there were certain legal issues that look minor on the outside but get really important when it is on your shoulders. Still ministering so I don't complain.
If it just depends on state law.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the IRS and state tax departments don’t try to go after them for 35 years of back taxes as they were likely filing as “married filing jointly” all these years....
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