Marriage and Divorce Laws of the World Part 31

IMPEDIMENTS.--No man shall marry his mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, stepmother, sister, grandfather's wife, son's wife, grandson's wife, wife's mother, wife's grandmother, wife's daughter, wife's granddaughter, brother's daughter, sister's daughter, father's sister or mother's sister.

No woman shall marry her father, grandfather, son, grandson, stepfather, brother, grandmother's husband, daughter's husband, granddaughter's husband, husband's father, husband's grandfather, husband's son, husband's grandson, brother's son, sister's son, father's brother or mother's brother.

In all cases in which the relationship is founded on marriage the prohibition continues, notwithstanding the dissolution by death or divorce of the marriage by which the affinity is created, unless the divorce is for a cause which shows such marriage to have been originally unlawful or void.

FORMALITIES.--Marriage may be solemnized by a minister of the Gospel, a duly qualified rabbi, or a justice of the peace. No special form of ceremony is required.

CAUSES FOR ABSOLUTE DIVORCE:

1. Adultery.

2. Impotency.

3. Extreme cruelty.

4. Utter desertion continued for three consecutive years next prior to the filing of the libel.

5. Gross and confirmed habits of intoxication caused by the voluntary use of intoxicating liquor, opium or other drugs.

6. Cruel and abusive treatment.

7. On the libel of the wife, when the husband, being of sufficient ability, grossly, or wantonly and cruelly, refuses or neglects to provide suitable maintenance for her.

8. When either party has separated from the other without his or her consent, and has united with a religious sect that professes to believe the relation of husband and wife void or unlawful, and has continued united with such sect or society for three years, refusing during that term to cohabit with the other party.

9. When either party has been sentenced to confinement at hard labour for life or for five years or more in the State prison, or in jail, or house of correction.

ALIMONY.--Temporary and permanent alimony may be granted to the wife.

FORM OF DECREE.--Decrees of divorces are in the first instance _nisi_, and become absolute six months afterward upon application; unless the court for sufficient cause, on the pet.i.tion of any interested party, shall otherwise order.

MICHIGAN.

MARRIAGE.--The minimum age for males is 18 years and for females 16 years.

Parental consent is necessary for a female under 18 years.

PROHIBITED DEGREES.--Same as in Ma.s.sachusetts, with the exception that marriages between first cousins are prohibited in Michigan.

FORMALITIES.--License is required. No particular form of celebration prescribed.

Marriage may be solemnized by any qualified clergyman, judge or justice of the peace.

CAUSES FOR DIVORCE:

1. Adultery.

2. Impotency at time of marriage.

3. Sentence of either party to prison for three years or more.

4. Desertion continued two years.

5. Habitual drunkenness.

6. In the court's discretion, a divorce may be granted to any resident whose husband or wife has obtained a divorce in another State.

Limited or absolute divorces may also be granted for extreme cruelty; utter desertion for two years; and wanton failure of husband to support his wife.

MINNESOTA.

MARRIAGE.--The minimum age for males is 18 years, for females 15 years.

Parental consent is required for marriage of male under 21 years or female under 18 years.

The prohibited degrees of consanguinity and affinity are the same as in Michigan.

No particular form of marriage ceremony is prescribed, but a license is necessary.

CAUSES FOR DIVORCE:

1. Adultery.

2. Impotency.

3. Cruel and inhuman treatment.

4. Sentence to State prison.

5. Wilful desertion continued for three years.

6. Habitual drunkenness.

Limited divorces are granted to women only on the grounds of husband's cruelty, abandonment, or such conduct on husband's part as makes cohabitation unsafe.

MISSISSIPPI.

MARRIAGE.--The minimum age for marriage is not fixed by statute. Parental consent is required for males under 21 years and females under 18 years.

The prohibited degrees of relationship are the same as in Ma.s.sachusetts.

Marriages of whites with negroes, mulattoes, or persons having more than one-eighth negro blood, and marriages between Mongolians, or persons having more than one-eighth Mongolian blood, are prohibited.

Marriage cannot be concluded without a license duly issued. It may be solemnized by either clergyman or magistrate.

CAUSES FOR DIVORCE: