Our blog posts often focus on difficult issues such as divorce and child custody disputes, but family law attorneys also routinely deal with positive situations and cases! For this post, we thought we would mix things up a bit and explore the formation of a new marriage in the State of California.

To be more specific, we at the White Oak Law are often asked about the requirements for getting married in California. Fortunately, this is a pretty straightforward answer. Here’s what you need to do before moving forward with your marriage.

The Four Requirements for Marriage

In California, there are four requirements that must be fulfilled before two people are allowed to get married.

• For one, both parties need to be legal adults, meaning they each need to be over the age of 18.
• Both parties also need to be legally single. This means that you cannot enter into a new marriage in California while still in an existing marriage or domestic partnership with another person.
• The next step involves formally getting a marriage license, which can be obtained from any county clerk’s office in California. Note that marriage licenses expire within 90 days, something to keep in mind as you move towards the final step.
• Finally, the marriage needs to be solemnized by an authorized individual. Authorized parties include religious leaders, judges and magistrates, and other parties authorized by the county clerk’s office.

Do You Need To Consult With a California Family Law Attorney?

That’s pretty much it. Any same sex or opposite sex couple is eligible to marry in the state of California, provided that they can fulfill those four requirements. If you want to learn more, or want to schedule a initial consultation with a reputable family law attorney, we invite you to call us directly at the White Oak Law.