Why Are We Rushing the Wedding?

The state of Florida has a three-day waiting period from the time you acquire a marriage license until you can get married. You must use the license within 60 days, and you can have your wedding in any Florida county you wish. If your partner-to-be is in a hurry to tie the knot, proceed with caution: it may be a warning sign of ulterior motives for the marriage.

Why might my partner be in a hurry to marry?

Premarital agreement

If your prospective mate asks you to sign a premarital agreement without giving you adequate time to have an attorney look it over — run the other way. Once you have signed an agreement and are married you may have very little recourse if the agreement is unfair. While most premarital agreements address what happens to the assets upon death or divorce, some address the use of assets during the marriage. Rushing into it could leave you destitute, so don’t.

Fraud

Someone who is in a hurry to get married might be hiding something — such as another spouse in another state, a prison record or trouble with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If you have substantial assets and your spouse-to-be does not, take time to do some digging before you wed, and by all means have your attorney draft a premarital agreement.

Wants marital benefits

With marriage come certain benefits, including your partner’s health insurance coverage and some tax breaks. If you are being rushed into marriage your partner might have an ulterior motive.

Wait for it!

If you or your spouse have been married before, it is absolutely essential that you wait until you have a finalized divorce before you marry again. Many people do not realize that once their divorce hearing is over and a judge has granted their petition to divorce, even if they have completed all of the necessary steps to complete their divorce there is still a waiting period of up to six months or so before they receive the final declaration. Anyone who marries during this time period is committing bigamy and is not legally married to the new partner.

A good marriage is one worth waiting for. If you require assistance or advice regarding a premarital agreement or marriage license, speak with a family law attorney in Boca Raton.