Marriage and Divorce Laws of the World Part 28

MARRIAGE.--The marriageable age for males begins at 17 years and for females at 14 years.

Females under 18 years of age require parental consent.

To be able to contract marriage, a person must be of sound mind, of legal age of consent, and labouring under neither of the following disabilities:

1. Previous marriage undissolved.

2. Nearness of relations.h.i.+p by blood or marriage.

3. Impotency.

To const.i.tute an actual contract of marriage the parties must be consenting thereto voluntarily, and without any fraud practiced upon either.

IMPEDIMENTS.--Marriages between whites and persons of African descent are prohibited.

A man shall not marry his stepmother, or mother-in-law, or daughter-in-law, or stepdaughter, or granddaughter of his wife.

A woman shall not marry her corresponding relatives.

Marriage is forbidden between ascendants and descendants. Any marriage within the Levitical degrees is a criminal offense.

CELEBRATION.--Marriage is a civil contract and no form of solemnization is prescribed by statute.

DIVORCE.--There are two forms of divorce in Georgia, a total divorce and a divorce from bed and board. The causes for total divorce are:

1. Intermarriage by persons within the prohibited degrees of relations.h.i.+p.

2. Mental incapacity at time of marriage.

3. Impotency at time of marriage.

4. Force, menaces, duress or fraud in obtaining marriage.

5. Pregnancy of wife at time of marriage, unknown to husband.

6. Adultery in either party after marriage.

7. Wilful and continued desertion for term of three years.

8. Conviction for an offense involving moral turpitude where penalty is two years or more in penitentiary.

9. In cases of cruel treatment, or habitual intoxication, jury may grant either total or partial divorce.

IDAHO.

MARRIAGE.--The marriageable age for males begins at 18 years and for females at the same age.

IMPEDIMENTS.--Marriage is prohibited between ascendants and descendants of every degree, and between brothers and sisters of the half as well as the whole blood, and between uncles and nieces, or aunts and nephews, whether the relations.h.i.+p is legitimate or illegitimate.

Marriage of whites with negroes or mulattoes is also prohibited.

A marriage license is required.

CELEBRATION.--The law prescribes no particular form of solemnization, but the parties must declare in the presence of the celebrant that they take each other as husband and wife. Two witnesses must be present.

CAUSES FOR ABSOLUTE DIVORCE:

1. Adultery.

2. Extreme cruelty.

3. Wilful desertion for one year.

4. Wilful neglect for one year.

5. Habitual intemperance for one year.

6. Conviction of felony.

7. Permanent insanity.

There is no limited form of divorce recognized.

DEFENCES:

1. Collusion.

2. Condonation.

3. Recrimination.

ILLINOIS.

MARRIAGE.--To marry with parental consent, males must be at least 18 years and females 16 years of age; without such consent, males must be at least 21 years and females 18 years.

Marriage is a civil contract and may be celebrated before a qualified clergyman or magistrate.

IMPEDIMENTS.--Marriages between parents and children, including grandparents and grandchildren of every degree, between brothers and sisters of the half as well as of the whole blood, between uncles and nieces, aunts and nephews, and between cousins of the first degree are declared to be incestuous and void. This includes illegitimate as well as legitimate children and relations.

CAUSES FOR ABSOLUTE DIVORCE:

1. When either party at the time of marriage was and continues to be naturally impotent.

2. When he or she had a wife or husband living at the time of such marriage.

3. When either party has committed adultery subsequent to the marriage.