Getting married? 5 legal check-list to know before your wedding

It is required by society to make the marriage union legally binding in a court of law and obtain legal documents.

If you are planning to get married, or have already scheduled a date, you may find the following before-marriage checklist tips very useful.

The legal requirements for marriage vary from state to state.

Some of these requirements are marriage licenses, blood tests, residency requirements, and much more

Here’s an important item to check off in the getting married checklist.

Marriage ceremonies

A good number of states have legal requirements about the marriage ceremony itself. It would also be helpful to lookup for what to do before getting married online for a state’s legal requirements about the marriage.

This includes- who can perform the wedding ceremony and is there supposed to be a witness in the ceremony. The ceremony can be performed by either a justice of the peace or a minister.

Prenuptial agreements

A prenuptial (or “pre-marital”) agreement can assist to specify the property and financial rights and obligations of the people who are about to be spouses.

It also includes the rights and obligations that the couples have to adhere to if their marriage relationship ends.

Altering your name after marriage

Marriage is a life-changing decision for everyone. For some of you, changing your last name is what changes legally when you get married.

After marriage, neither spouse is legally bound to take the other spouse’s surname, but a lot of new spouses decide to do so for customary and symbolic reasons.

One of the things to do before you get married is decide whether to alter your name after marriage or not.

Marriage license

Legal things to do before you get married include obtaining a marriage license.

A marriage license is a document issued, either by a religious organization or state authority, authorizing a couple to marry.

You can obtain your marriage license at the local town or city clerk’s office and occasionally in the county where you plan to get married.

Waiting time for the marriage license

The couple usually needs to wait for a few days to get their marriage license after application.

The waiting time normally differs from state to state and may last from one day to one month. A number of states, though, do not need a waiting period at all.

Ask for a few extra certified copies of the original marriage license. That’s an important component of a checklist before getting married.