Marriage In Nc

[hondabikelvr]

My marriage in NC was performed by a ULC minister in 2008 who did not show any credentials.

The paperwork was then turned into the register of deeds or clerk of court.

The marriage certificate came back ok.

Is my marriage valid? I have heard that ULC ministers cannot perform marriage ceremonies in NC.

Is this true?

[Dorian Gray]

That really depends on who your asking and what you want to believe.

The case law as well as the curative law clearly show that marriages by ULC Ministers after 1981 are questionable at best. That said there are those here that ignore that and believe that they are 100% legal.

see following links for case law in NC.

http://www.ulcsemina...ds/NCvLynch.pdf

http://www.ulcsemina...tonvvickery.pdf

http://www.ulcsemina...s/LynchvULC.pdf

Bottom line: ULC marriages prior to July 3, 1981 are validated. (NC § 51-1.1.) Marriages solemnized after July 3, 1981 are questionable in legality due to the above case law.

To protect the expectations of other married couples who had used ULC ministers, the North Carolina state legislature adopted a law to make clear that pre-existing ULC marriages were all valid as long as they had not already been specifically invalidated by a court. As to marriages after that date in 1981, the statute was silent. The implication was that such marriages could no longer be celebrated in North Carolina. Moreover, a later North Carolina case suggested, but did not definitively rule, that ULC marriages are no good there.

The above is an excerpt of an article written by Joanna L. Grossman who is a Law Professor at Hofstra. You can read the whole thing here: http://verdict.justia.com/2011/11/21/can-laypersons-ordained-online-as-universal-life-church-ministers-or-the-like-officiate-at-weddings