Whether you are tying the knot for the first time or considering remarriage, it’s important to understand that there are certain requirements that must be met before you can be legally wed. One of the most important requirements is that you are legally free to be married, which means you are not currently legally married to anyone else. If you’ve been married before, even if it was just for a short time and the marriage was annulled, it’s a good idea to check with a family law attorney to make sure that everything was done properly to avoid problems later on.
In the state of Florida, you must also wait three days from the time of applying for a marriage license before you can actually receive the license. This gives both parties time to fully consider the decision and change their minds if need be. This requirement can be skipped, however, if the couple has attended premarital counseling.
Once you receive your marriage license, you will have 60 days to have it signed by the appropriate person and filed. If you wait longer than the 60 days to have your ceremony or go to the justice of the peace, the marriage license will be invalid and you will have to reapply.
Even after you’ve crossed all of these items off your wedding planning checklist, the last thing to consider is a prenuptial agreement. Now that more and more couples are waiting until their late 20s and even 30s to get married for the first time, it’s much more common for partners to have built up some assets and wealth prior to their marriage. Talking to a family law attorney about your options and what you should address in a prenup helps ensure when the big day comes you can focus on enjoying the event instead of worrying about what may happen in the future.
Source: FindLaw, “Marriage License Requirements,” accessed Sep. 29, 2015