Some people get married by having a marriage ceremony and obtaining a marriage license. Others simply hold themselves out as being married even though they have not had a ceremony or obtained a license. These individuals are said to have a common law marriage.

There are three legal requirements for getting married. We previously considered the first requirement, namely, that the parties consent to being married. Now we can consider the second and third requirements – i.e., how the marriage is solemnized and the marriage license. This article will use Texas law as an example.

We have covered several aspects of invalid or bad marriages. Let’s now look at the requirements to marry. Generally, a person must consent to be married, the marriage license must be obtained, and the marriage must be properly solemnized. Let’s look at the first requirement: that the person consents to be married.

Marriages can be bad, as in void or voidable, if certain requirements are not met. These requirements vary from state to state; however, there are some nearly universal requirements for getting married.

Family law is the branch of law dealing with family relations, including divorce, adoption, paternity, custody, and support. Most family law issues, including marriage in particular, are regulated by the states.