[planetmark]

I finally got hold of a certified copy of my "marriage license" from the county recorder. It isn't signed by anybody except the person who issued it a week before the wedding. I also got the application form to see what they look like in that state. Nothing on the app but basic personal identifying stuff - name, age, etc. And there is nowhere to sign on it anyway. Add to this that my soon-to-be-ex was 17 when we married, and the license says "consent to marry minor" printed on it, but no signature of her mother, and no paperwork on file recording this "consent".

So, does this really mean that I'm not "legally married" and the state has no authority in this? There is no signature to recind, and she was a minor. So, what happens next? I'm preparing for SMJ challenge for the divorce, and this looks like good ammo. Any thoughts? Suggestions for SMJ challenge wording are certainly welcome, but the trial date is coming up fast - Feb 1. What would you folks suggest doing at this point? If they dismiss this, that means all "child support" goes away too, right? And I can just go grab the children and bring them home?

By the way, the "marriage" was in a different state than the divorce proceedings, if that matters. I'd think that is extra fuel for SMJ challenge, but if there is no "state marriage" then that doesn't matter anyhow.