Ron White’s and ex Margo Rey’s divorce has been in the headlines more than once, but a new and unexpected twist has arisen. White claims that the pair were never really married – that though they had a wedding ceremony in 2013, they never signed a marriage certificate. He therefore claims that Rey filing for divorce is completely bogus.
In Ontario, marriage is governed by the Marriage Act. This act requires four things to form a valid marriage:
- license or banns,
- a registered celebrant or justice of the peace,
- a ceremony of marriage with both parties present, and
- a registration.
The ceremony requires that there be at least two witnesses. However, there are no special words required to be read out unless it is a justice of the peace or judge performing the ceremony.
It therefore seems that in Ontario at least, Ron White would have a legal leg to stand on – with just a ceremony, they are missing several vital elements to form a valid marriage. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in court.
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