Australian law recognises only monogamous marriages, being marriages of two people, including same-sex marriages, and does not recognise any other forms of union, including traditional Aboriginal marriages, polygamous marriages or concubinage.
Polygamy is a situation where a person has more than one marriage at the same time. In Australia it is a criminal offence known as bigamy to knowingly get married when a person is already legally married. However, polygamy is legal in many countries.
There's no limit to how many times an adult can get married in their lifetime. You can only be married to one person at a time: One marriage must legally end before another can begin. If you're married in one state, your marriage is valid in all states.
Here are some relatives you are allowed to marry in Australia: your aunt or uncle. your niece or nephew. your cousin – first cousin or second cousin etc.
You are legally required to have at least 2 guests at your wedding to witness and sign the marriage certificate. If possible, you should know the witnesses, as their evidence can be used to: establish the identity of the couple who were married. testify to the circumstances in which the ceremony was performed.
Rules to get married in Australia
To get married in Australia, you must: not be married. not be marrying a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister. be at least 18 years old, unless a court has approved a marriage where 1 person is 16-18 years old.
Lodge a notice of intended marriage with supporting evidence at least one month before the wedding. The notice remains valid for up to 18 months. Pay the total fee for getting married in the registry office - $362.00 (includes notice of intended marriage and ceremony fees).
Polygamous marriages and other prohibited relationships
Australian law prohibits blood relatives from marrying and this includes adopted as well as natural children. Cousins are not prohibited from marrying one another.
A marriage will not be valid if the parties are in a 'prohibited relationship' (s 23B(1)(b) Marriage Act). A prohibited relationship is one between a brother and sister (including half-blood) or between a person and an ancestor (i.e. a parent or grandparent) or descendant (i.e. a child or grandchild).
So, what isn't allowed? Under Australian law it's illegal for a man to marry his grandmother, mother, sister or half-sister, daughter or granddaughter. A woman also can't marry her grandfather, father, brother or half-brother, son or grandson.
Early Mormons were persecuted for their practice of polygamy. No state permits its citizens to enter into more than one concurrent, legally-licensed marriage. People who attempt to, or are able to, secure a second marriage license are generally prosecuted for bigamy.
All U.S. jurisdictions prohibit polygamy by invalidating marriages involving more than two spouses. State laws against bigamy—getting married to someone while still legally married to another person—are usually grounds for an annulment. Similar to divorce, an annulment results in the termination of a marriage.
In the U.S., having spouselike relationships with more than one person under the same roof was criminalized in 1882. Today, people in the U.S. are rarely prosecuted for living with multiple romantic partners, but every state has laws against getting married while already being married to someone else.
While under Australian law a person can be in at most one legally valid marriage at a time, Australian law does recognise that a person can be in multiple de facto relationships concurrently, and as such entitled to the legal rights extended to members of de facto relationships.
In legal terms, polyamorous people are unable to marry all their of partners: It is illegal throughout the United States to marry more than one person at a time.
Under Australian law you are not able to re-marry until your prior marriage has been finalised by the final Decree of Divorce or the death of your spouse. It is not uncommon to have that 'oh no' moment when you realise that you have fallen in love and just booked in your wedding day.
This means, for example, that a person cannot marry their parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister. However, (depending of course on the gender of the party) a person may marry their aunt or uncle, niece or nephew or 'first' cousin.
In the United States, second cousins are legally allowed to marry in every state. However, marriage between first cousins is legal in only about half of the American states. All in all, marrying your cousin or half-sibling will largely depend on the laws where you live and personal and/or cultural beliefs.
Are you thinking of bringing your siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, or other relatives to Australia? As an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you can sponsor your relatives to come to Australia.
Marriages between uncles and nieces or aunts and nephews are prohibited in most countries. However, the law does not prohibit marriages between half-parents. The marriage between an uncle and his niece is called an avunculated marriage. Avunculated marriage was common among South Indians.
You can marry other types of relatives or people from your household including aunts, uncles, cousins, step siblings and foster siblings.
In general, as long as you have no blood relationship with your step-sibling, no law prevents you from marrying them. This article will explore the legal implications of marrying your step-sibling and some frequently asked questions about the topic.
According to tradition, the bride and her family should cover the majority of expenses including the bride's dress, venue hire, cake, decorations and other services, while the groom's main responsibilities are to pay for the engagement ring, honeymoon and the flowers for the bride.
Select a marriage celebrant
This is number one, because a minimum of one month before you intend to marry, you need to lodge your NOIM (Notice of Intent to Marry) to your celebrant. They then use this notice to interface with the government. You can download your Notice of Intent to Marry here.
Getting married without a wedding is often called a legals-only wedding ceremony in Australia. A legals only wedding is conducted by an authorised marriage celebrant who will organise and submit all the required paperwork to get you legally married - without the bells and whistles of a large wedding.