The Requirements of a Legal Marriage
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Minimum Age
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In Alberta, you must be 18 to marry without permission of a parent or guardian and 16 to marry with permission. A female under 16 can marry with parent/guardian consent or with a court order if she is pregnant or has a child.
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Genuine Consent
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Both parties must genuinely want and intend to marry. There must be no
duress
or trickery,
and there must be no mistake as to what is going on.
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Permissible Relationships
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People getting married cannot be closely related by
consanguinity
(until recently
affinity
could also affect the legality of a marriage). The reading you will be doing shortly will explain this more fully.
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Freedom to Marry
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Both parties must be legally free to marry. In other words, they must be either; single, widowed, or divorced.
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Sexual Capacity
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At the time of marriage, both parties must have the capacity to form a sexual relationship.
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Mental Capacity
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At the time of marriage, both parties must be able to understand the nature of the ceremony and the duties that marriage involves.
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Solemnization
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According to Alberta's
Marriage Act,
a couple planning to marry must obtain a marriage license. As well, they have to go through a legal ceremony carried out by someone with the legal authority to marry people. The ceremony must be witnessed by at least two people.
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