Why do we need "Marriage Licences"?

sebastianlieken

My friend is getting married and told me that the marriage licence is going to cost £84 - which in my mind is a bit mad. Why on earth are a couple required to have a "marriage licence"? what's that all about?!?!

If anything, shouldn't the government impose something like a "child rearing licence" instead? You sit a basic test to to determine whether you can care for and raise a child (the rich and the poor alike), and therefore allowed to look after a child.

Pushtrak

Marriage =/= parentage.

Boo2112

To make sure you're not marrying your sister?

What's way better is the manditary church marriage course things charge per person...wut?!

theteal

Boo2112 wrote: »

To make sure you're not marrying your sister?

What's way better is the manditary church marriage course things charge per person...wut?!

mandatory? my wedding won't be anywhere near a church

Boo2112

theteal wrote: »

mandatory? my wedding won't be anywhere near a church

Manditory for a church wedding, hence 'church'.

kneemos

theteal wrote: »

mandatory? my wedding won't be anywhere near a church

There's bound to be a church nearby.

MurdyWurdy

Boo2112 wrote: »

Manditory for a church wedding, hence 'church'.

It's only mandatory for Catholic church weddings actually, there are other types of churches!

Boo2112

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

It's only mandatory for Catholic church weddings actually, there are other types of churches!

Jaysus sorry, I give up.

admiralofthefleet

i asked that question to the woman who we got our forms off last year. she said its to stop you getting married again when you already are

MurdyWurdy

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

i asked that question to the woman who we got our forms off last year. she said its to stop you getting married again when you already are

I was thinking this was the reason too, they have to record marriages somehow. What would you suggest the alternative is? I'm guessing they need your fee to provide the service.

You have to give your pps number too so the tax office know if you're married or not for tax reasons. Also, they ask if you are related to each other before giving you the licence.

admiralofthefleet

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

I was thinking this was the reason too, they have to record marriages somehow. What would you suggest the alternative is? I'm guessing they need your fee to provide the service.

You have to give your pps number too so the tax office know if you're married or not for tax reasons. Also, they ask if you are related to each other before giving you the licence.

we werent asked that, but then we dont smell like cabbage

sebastianlieken

Pushtrak wrote: »

Marriage =/= parentage.

yes I realise this. It's merely a suggestion if the government feel like they NEED to licence something else instead. And if they need to licence something, why not for parentage - at least that licence might do some good.

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

It's only mandatory for Catholic church weddings actually, there are other types of churches!

Well my friend is not of the catholic church... she's on the other side :P (as is he)

smash

I presume it's something to do it bigamy laws?

MurdyWurdy

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

we werent asked that, but then we dont smell like cabbage

It's given to you on a piece if paper before you sign as far as I remember!! It's part if the process.

My husband and I are different colours so unlikely to be related but they still asked us! the list does include being related by marriage as well (e.g you can't marry your grandmother's husband and things like that!)

kneemos

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

It's given to you on a piece if paper before you sign as far as I remember!! It's part if the process.

My husband and I are different colours so unlikely to be related but they still asked us! the list does include being related by marriage as well (e.g you can't marry your grandmother's husband and things like that!)

Your grandfather??

gcgirl

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

It's given to you on a piece if paper before you sign as far as I remember!! It's part if the process.

My husband and I are different colours so unlikely to be related but they still asked us! the list does include being related by marriage as well (e.g you can't marry your grandmother's husband and things like that!)

What if you wanted to marry your dead brothers wife?

kneemos

Can you marry an adopted brother or sister?

Hoki

sebastianlieken wrote: »

My friend is getting married and told me that the marriage licence is going to cost £84 - which in my mind is a bit mad. Why on earth are a couple required to have a "marriage licence"? what's that all about?!?!

If anything, shouldn't the government impose something like a "child rearing licence" instead? You sit a basic test to to determine whether you can care for and raise a child (the rich and the poor alike), and therefore allowed to look after a child.

Your friend should be thankful he's not getting married south of the border , its €200 here .

MurdyWurdy

kneemos wrote: »

Your grandfather??

Not necessarily - your grandfather could have died and your grandmother marrried again.

The list is here:

A man may not marry his:

• Grandmother
• Mother
• Father’s sister (aunt)
• Mother’s sister (aunt)
• Sister
• Father’s Daughter (half sister)
• Mother’s Daughter (half sister)
• Daughter
• Son’s Daughter (granddaughter)
• Daughter’s Daughter (granddaughter)
• Brother’s Daughter (niece)
• Sister’s Daughter (niece)

A woman may not marry her:

• Grandfather
• Father.
• Father’s Brother (uncle)
• Mother’s Brother (uncle)
• Brother
• Father’s Son (half brother)
• Mother’s Son (half brother)
• Son
• Son’s Son (grandson)
• Daughter’s Son (grandson)
• Brother’s Son (nephew)
• Sister’s Son (nephew)

Affinity – relationship by marriage
A man may not marry his:

• Grandfather’s Wife (step-grandmother)
• Father’s Wife (stepmother)
• Father’s Brother’s Wife
• Mother’s Brother’s Wife
• Son’s Wife
• Son’s Son’s Wife
• Daughter’s Son’s Wife
• Brother’s Son’s Wife
• Sister’s Son’s Wife
• Wife’s grandmother (grandmother-in-law)
• Wife’s Mother (mother-in-law)
• Wife’s Father’s Sister
• Wife’s Mother’s Sister
• Wife’s Daughter (stepdaughter)
• Wife’s Son’s Daughter
• Wife’s Daughter’s Daughter
• Wife’s Brother’s Daughter
• Wife’s Sister’s Daughter

A woman may not marry her:

• Grandmother’s Husband (step-grandfather)
• Mother’s Husband (stepfather)
• Father’s Sister’s Husband
• Mother’s Sister’s Husband
• Daughter’s Husband
• Son’s Daughter’s Husband
• Daughter’s Daughter’s Husband
• Brother’s Daughter’s Husband
• Sister’s Daughter’s Husband
• Husband’s Grandfather (grandfather-in-law)
• Husband’s Father (father-in-law)
• Husband’s Father’s Brother
• Husband’s Mother’s Brother
• Husband’s Son (stepson)
• Husband’s Son’s Son
• Husband’s Daughter’s Son
• Husband’s Brother’s Son
• Husband’s Sister’s Son

and it's a fee of 150EUR not 200EUR

Antar Bolaeisk

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

Not necessarily - your grandfather could have died and your grandmother marrried again.

The list is here:

A man may not marry his:

• Grandmother
• Mother
• Father’s sister (aunt)
• Mother’s sister (aunt)
• Sister
• Father’s Daughter (half sister)
• Mother’s Daughter (half sister)
• Daughter
• Son’s Daughter (granddaughter)
• Daughter’s Daughter (granddaughter)
• Brother’s Daughter (niece)
• Sister’s Daughter (niece)

Phew, Brother's Daughter's Daughter isn't listed.

shruikan2553

From my experience a licence is a tax you can avoid. Just get married and dont open the door when the marriage licence inspector comes around, worst case if they catch you just give a fake name.

hfallada

In America its to stop first cousins marrying each other ( it's clearly doesn't stop all). But I also guessed it stop interracial marriage because if you didnt have a marriage licence your marriage wasn't legit. ( something like 16 states banned interracial marriage until the mid 1970s)

I know in Ireland a marriage licence is a way to stop sham marriages ( the Garda are sometimes called when an eastern European marrys a non eu person)

schnitzelEater

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

we werent asked that, but then we dont smell like cabbage

Maybe they figured your Missus was too hot to be into keeping it in the family?

Cerulean Chicken

We just got ours today, I was telling my fiance that I know a guy who married his wife's niece...an odd one that isn't on the list! So like, he knew her as she was growing up, and then when his wife died himself and her niece got married a few years later, I found it all quite odd! Even at the wedding, sure there were all his inlaws already!

grizzly

Cerulean Chicken wrote: »

a guy who married his wife's niece...an odd one that isn't on the list!

It is there...

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

Wife’s Sister’s Daughter

TheUsual

Wow, lots of nervous posters on here.
Family secrets being revealed, by using the term "What if ..."

*gets popcorn*

Cerulean Chicken

grizzly wrote: »

It is there...

It wasn't his wife's sister's daughter, it was his wife's brother's daughter, I see it on the list now, I was looking for the word niece when I glanced at it earlier. Well they got married in a church so they managed it somehow, wonder if they lied??

kneemos

Cerulean Chicken wrote: »

It wasn't his wife's sister's daughter, it was his wife's brother's daughter, I see it on the list now, I was looking for the word niece when I glanced at it earlier. Well they got married in a church so they managed it somehow, wonder if they lied??

Don't see the problem there,there's no bloodline.

Cerulean Chicken

kneemos wrote: »

Don't see the problem there,there's no bloodline.

I know, it's just that it's on the list of ones not allowed yet it has obviously happened, so wondering why it's on the list/how they were allowed to.

MurdyWurdy

I was wondering if the list of people prohibited even though they 're not related by blood was to stop people marrying just to keep land in the family or something like that? What other reasons could there be I wonder?

Cerulean Chicken

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

I was wondering if the list of people prohibited even though they 're not related by blood was to stop people marrying just to keep land in the family or something like that? What other reasons could there be I wonder?

Well in this instance I know of I found it odd because for all intents and purposes she was his niece, he had watched her grow up with his children. But yes you could have a point, some of them must be outdated and pointless now, as they aren't blood relatives so what could the problem be.

mloc123

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

Not necessarily - your grandfather could have died and your grandmother marrried again.

The list is here:

A man may not marry his:

• Grandmother
• Mother
• Father’s sister (aunt)
• Mother’s sister (aunt)
• Sister
• Father’s Daughter (half sister)
• Mother’s Daughter (half sister)
• Daughter
• Son’s Daughter (granddaughter)
• Daughter’s Daughter (granddaughter)
• Brother’s Daughter (niece)
• Sister’s Daughter (niece)

A woman may not marry her:

• Grandfather
• Father.
• Father’s Brother (uncle)
• Mother’s Brother (uncle)
• Brother
• Father’s Son (half brother)
• Mother’s Son (half brother)
• Son
• Son’s Son (grandson)
• Daughter’s Son (grandson)
• Brother’s Son (nephew)
• Sister’s Son (nephew)

Affinity – relationship by marriage
A man may not marry his:

• Grandfather’s Wife (step-grandmother)
• Father’s Wife (stepmother)
• Father’s Brother’s Wife
• Mother’s Brother’s Wife
• Son’s Wife
• Son’s Son’s Wife
• Daughter’s Son’s Wife
• Brother’s Son’s Wife
• Sister’s Son’s Wife
• Wife’s grandmother (grandmother-in-law)
• Wife’s Mother (mother-in-law)
• Wife’s Father’s Sister
• Wife’s Mother’s Sister
• Wife’s Daughter (stepdaughter)
• Wife’s Son’s Daughter
• Wife’s Daughter’s Daughter
• Wife’s Brother’s Daughter
• Wife’s Sister’s Daughter

A woman may not marry her:

• Grandmother’s Husband (step-grandfather)
• Mother’s Husband (stepfather)
• Father’s Sister’s Husband
• Mother’s Sister’s Husband
• Daughter’s Husband
• Son’s Daughter’s Husband
• Daughter’s Daughter’s Husband
• Brother’s Daughter’s Husband
• Sister’s Daughter’s Husband
• Husband’s Grandfather (grandfather-in-law)
• Husband’s Father (father-in-law)
• Husband’s Father’s Brother
• Husband’s Mother’s Brother
• Husband’s Son (stepson)
• Husband’s Son’s Son
• Husband’s Daughter’s Son
• Husband’s Brother’s Son
• Husband’s Sister’s Son

and it's a fee of 150EUR not 200EUR

200eur now, price went up a couple of months ago.

seamus

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

I was wondering if the list of people prohibited even though they 're not related by blood was to stop people marrying just to keep land in the family or something like that? What other reasons could there be I wonder?

I imagine it complicates inheritance law no end.

MurdyWurdy

mloc123 wrote: »

200eur now, price went up a couple of months ago.

Glad I got married before it went up then!!

Cerulean Chicken

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

Glad I got married before it went up then!!

We rang to make an appointment when it was €150, couldn't get appointment until the following week, when it had gone up, grrr!

hoodwinked

Hoki wrote: »

Your friend should be thankful he's not getting married south of the border , its €200 here .

€200? :eek: even love has inflated its prices...


twas only a few bob when we got married..... last year

Joey the lips

Because a dog licence is the law.

Does this marriage license require a theory test?

greenflash

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Does this marriage license require a theory test?

Just practical and oral