Legal Question in Family Law in Maryland

nullity of marriage

Me&my wife are here in US&still greencard holder& my wife was married before to another man at manila city hall 5 yrs ago by a solemnizing officer however there was no marriage license when we verified it..and she was just force to marry that guy because He did a very big favor for my wife& to be able for him to go here in US. Is this a ground for nullity of marriage?..by the way,we got married here 3yrs ago..can my wife file application for US citizenship &declare that she was just married once here in US?my other question is can i apply for US citizenship&just declare that my wife was married once to me here in US?because there is a portion at the application that i need to declare my spouse civil status&how many times she was married..is the marriage in the Philippines included or just marriage/s in US?thank you very much!!!more power!!!


Asked on 3/29/08, 8:46 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Thomas Brown Law Office of Thomas K. Brown, LLC

Re: nullity of marriage

If the proceeding was a valid marriage ceremony in the Philippines then it will be valid here in the United States unless it is somehow contrary to US public policy to recognize it. If it is determined to be valid then that marriage would have to have been terminated prior to your current marriage for it to be valid. US law and immigration rules do not recognize multiple simultaneous marriages. The answer to your question really turns on Philippines law and you should really consult with a Filipino lawyer on this.

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Answered on 3/29/08, 10:40 am


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