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<p class="MsoNormal">According to a quick Google search, your understanding appears to be generally correct:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://mx.usembassy.gov/marriage/#:~:text=Mexican%20official%20translator.-,In%20Mexico%2C%20only%20civil%20marriage%20is%20recognized%20as%20legal.,replaces%20the%20obligatory%20civil%20marriage">https://mx.usembassy.gov/marriage/#:~:text=Mexican%20official%20translator.-,In%20Mexico%2C%20only%20civil%20marriage%20is%20recognized%20as%20legal.,replaces%20the%20obligatory%20civil%20marriage</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But it would seem the civil ceremony could have occurred in either Mexico or the US for the marriage to be legally recognized in the US. Perhaps there will be a record in whatever state in Mexico they resided in, if they had a civil marriage
there.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Katie Patel<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Paraclete Estate Planning, LLC<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(323) 356-4886<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">112 Genessee Street<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Medford, OR 97504<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(working remotely from Snohomish, WA)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Licensed in CA, OR, and WA<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Dalynne Singleton<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, December 20, 2022 8:44 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> 'WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv' <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Mexico Religious Wedding Ceremony - valid in US as marriage?<br>
<b>Importance:</b> High<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">I have new clients and their father married their stepmother in Mexico 20 years ago in a religious ceremony. They do not know if they followed up with a civil ceremony.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Can someone tell me if that is considered a valid marriage in the US if there was never any US civil ceremony? The stepmother was not a US citizen at time of marriage service in Mexico but later became a
US citizen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">From my understanding the civil ceremony is fully valid for legal purposes here in the United States only if a couple who has a religious ceremony in Mexico, also had the civil ceremony to make it legal in
the US.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Dalynne Singleton</span></i></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Gourley Law Group</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Snohomish Escrow</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">The Exchange Connection</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">1002 10<sup>th</sup> Street / PO Box 1091</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Snohomish, WA 98291</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">360.568.5065</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">360.568.1717 fax</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1"><a href="mailto:dalynne@glgmail.com" target="_blank">dalynne@glgmail.com</a></span></u><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">Website:
<a href="http://www.glglawgroup.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">www.glglawgroup.com</span></a></span></u><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Attorney/client meetings will be handled by teleconference or virtually whenever possible. I am available by email,
telephone, in-person or zoom. If you would like to set a conference with me, please call or email my paralegal
<a href="mailto:theresa@glgmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">theresa@glgmail.com</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:angelina@glgmail.com"><span style="color:blue">angelina@glgmail.com</span></a> or
<a href="mailto:dominika@glgmail.com"><span style="color:blue">dominika@glgmail.com</span></a>.
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><i><span style="font-family:Californian;color:black">LICENSED</span></i><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Californian;color:black"> IN WASHINGTON AND OREGON</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
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