“With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we’ll be seeing a spike in eloping; I have seen people get into trouble when making this leap, unless they consider at least the following 3 things,” says Stephanie Fakih, founder and principal of Rights First Law.
Property and Assets
“You aren’t thinking at all about divorce when you are on Cloud 9 and eloping; however, just consider that property and assets you will purchase or gain jointly will be subject to total division in a divorce,” says Fakih.
Children
“Have you checked if the woman is pregnant before getting eloped? This is definitely something to consider, because even if you don’t find out about the pregnancy until after you’re married, you are still legally responsible for her child and presumed to be the father,” says Fakih.
Annulment
“If you are at all unsure about eloping and thinking to yourself, ‘Oh I can just get this marriage annulled afterwards,’ make sure that you consider that an annulment is not always an option. Courts only grant annulments in limited circumstances (being drunk is not one of them),” says Fakih.
“The average age of those getting married is trending up, mostly because people are waiting until they are truly ready before delving into the responsibilities that come with marriage,” says Fakih.
“As attorneys, we see things that others don’t always consider and hope these reminders have helped.”
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