What Marriages Are Prohibited in Illinois?

 Posted on March 13, 2024 in Family Law

Living in the United States affords you a great deal of freedom and civil liberties. People are largely free to make decisions for themselves and eat, wear, think, and do whatever they want unless what they want could pose a threat to them or others. That is why there are speed limits, food and drug regulations, rules about how a business needs to treat its customers, and countless other ways the law restricts us to protect the greater good.

One area you may not expect there to be regulations involves who you can marry. In the state of Illinois, certain types of relationships are prohibited. If your marriage falls under this category, it can be annulled, meaning you can end your prohibited marriage without needing a divorce. The law would simply recognize that it was never legal to begin with, and it is essentially canceled. If you have questions about the validity of your marriage, a Wheaton, IL family law attorney can offer you answers.

Bigamy in Illinois

Bigamy is when someone is married to someone at the time that they marry someone else. This is not legal in Illinois. A common mistake people make is thinking that being separated is the same as being divorced. It is prohibited to marry someone even if you are separated from your previous spouse. Without an official divorce, you are still considered legally married.

Incest

When people who are related to each other get married or have relations with each other, this is considered incest and is illegal in the State of Illinois. With the exception of some specific cousin relationships, you are prohibited from marrying a relative. 

Common Law Marriage

When people move in together and live as a couple but never make the relationship official in a ceremony officiated by someone legally authorized by the state of Illinois to do so, they are not considered married. This is called a common law marriage, and Illinois does not recognize this kind of arrangement as a legal marriage.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a DuPage County, IL Annulment Lawyer

If you are in a prohibited marriage and you want to know how you can get out of it, a sensitive Wheaton, IL annulment attorney can help. Reviewing your case, we can guide you on how you might want to annul your marriage. Call Goostree Law Group and 630-364-4046 to schedule a free consultation.