Rhode Island Marriage Laws | § 15-1-6

State of Rhode Island General Laws 15-1-6

Declaration of validity of marriage by divorced person.

Any marriage, which may have been deemed and held void because a former wife or husband of either of the parties to the marriage, divorced from the party by final decree, was living at the time of the marriage, may be declared valid and binding upon the parties by decree of the family court, if the marriage was in all other respects lawful. The decree may be entered at the discretion of the court upon the petition of either party to the marriage, or of any of the issue of the marriage, and after a hearing and notice to all persons known to have an interest in the marriage as the court may deem necessary, and the decree may declare that the issue of the marriage shall be deemed legitimate and that the widow of any party to the marriage shall be entitled to her life estate created by chapter 25 of title 33.

(G.L. 1923, ch. 287, § 5; P.L. 1927, ch. 1066, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 415, § 5; G.L. 1956, § 15-1-6; impl. am. P.L. 1961, ch. 73, § 14.)

Back to Rhode Island Marriage Laws

More Rhode Island Marriage Laws

§ 15-2-14 Minimum age for marriage license
§ 15-1-3 Incestuous marriages void.
§ 15-1-2 Marrying kindred forbidden.
§ 15-1-1 Equal access to marriage.
§ 15-1-6 Declaration of validity of marriage by divorced person.
§ 15-2-1 License required – Proof of divorce – Obligation of clerk to issue license.
§ 15-2-1.1 Statewide electronic marriage license system.
§ 15-2-3.1 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome warning law.
§ 15-2-8 Period of validity of license – Return if unused.
§ 15-2-9 License fee – Presentation of license to person performing ceremony.
§ 15-2-12 Recording of license information.
§ 15-2-13 Registrar in city of Providence.
§ 15-3-6 Marriages after the manner of Friends, according to Jewish rites, or spiritual assembly of Baha'is.
§ 15-3-7 Presentation of marriage license.
§ 15-3-8 Witnesses to ceremony.
§ 15-3-9 Statement of objections to marriage.
§ 15-3-10 Penalty for marriage without license or despite impediment.
§ 15-3-13 Filing of return of marriage.
§ 15-3-14 Neglect of duty by person performing ceremony.
§ 15-3-15 Marriages valid despite irregularities – Penalty for marriage without compliance.
§ 15-3-16 Solemnization of marriage without authority.
§ 15-3-17 Court orders regarding invalid marriages.
§ 15-3.1-1 Definitions.
§ 15-3.1-2 Eligibility.
§ 15-3.1-5 Conscience and religious organizations protected.
§ 15-3.1-6 Benefits, protections, and responsibilities.
§ 15-3.1-7 References and inclusions.
§ 15-3.1-8 Reciprocity.
§ 15-3.1-9 Dissolution of civil unions.
§ 15-3.1-10 Requirement of department of health – Civil unions.
§ 15-3.1-11 Severability.
§ 15-1-4 Marriages of kindred allowed by Jewish religion.
§ 15-1-5 Bigamous marriages void – Marriage of persons who are mentally incompetent.
§ 15-3-11 Knowingly performing bigamous marriage.
§ 15-1-7 Marriage codification.
§ 15-1-8 Recognition of relationships entered into in another state or jurisdiction.
§ 15-1-9 Applicability of state laws to marriages not recognized by federal law.
§ 15-2-7 Form and contents of certificates, reports, and other returns.
§ 15-2-9.1 Additional fee for family and children trust fund.
§ 15-3-6.1 Protection of freedom of religion in marriage.
§ 15-3-5 Officials empowered to join persons in marriage.
§ 15-3-12 Endorsement and return of license.
§ 15-3.1-12 Merger of civil union into marriage by action of the parties.
§ 15-3.1-13 Recognized date of marriage.