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Teen Marriages

LEGAL ALERT: New Ohio Minimum Age to Marry is 18 Absent Court Order

PUBLISHERS NOTE: We have blogged about this situation twice before. First, on May 12, 2018, in Teen Marriages and the Push for Reform in Ohio and then on January 12, 2019, shortly after Ohio Governor John Kasich signed the new law abolishing underage marriage in most all cases. Click here to read that post. That new law just became effective on April 8, 2019. We have kept our readers up-to-date on this because underage marriage and human trafficking are important issues in society. So, here is the latest update…

Minimum Age To Marry In Ohio Is Now 18. Underage Marriage Permitted Only With Juvenile Court Consent

Children under age 17 will no longer be permitted to marry in Ohio as a new child marriage law took effect on April 8, 2019. This issue was investigated by the Dayton Daily News in 2017 when it found that 4,443 girls age 17 or younger were married in Ohio between 2000 and 2015, including 59 who were 15 and younger. State records show three girls age 14 were married. This included a Montgomery County case in which a Juvenile Judge approved a marriage between a 14 year old pregnant girl and a … Read More... “LEGAL ALERT: New Ohio Minimum Age to Marry is 18 Absent Court Order”

LEGAL ALERT: Ohio Raises the Minimum Age to Marry to 18 in Most Cases

Ohio Bans Underage Marrriages Putting An End To Child Marriage

Ohio has banned underage marriage between underage boys and girls. In addition, for the first time the law treats both genders the same. Previously, the law in Ohio had permitted boys at age 18 but 16 for girls to marry.

On January 7, 2019, Gov. John Kasich signed into law a measure that protects Ohio children against underage marriage. This new law was initiated in part as a result of a Dayton Daily News investigation that found 4,443 girls age 17 or younger were married in Ohio between 2000 and 2015, including 59 who were 15 and younger. Ohio records showed that three girls age 14 were married, including one pregnant girl who married a 48-year-old man! Prior to this law change, pregnant girls under age16 could marry if they had parental consent and juvenile court approval.

80% Of Teen Marriages End In Divorce

On May 12, 2018, we published “Teen Marriages and the Push for Reform in Ohio” on the Ohio Family Law Blog. Click here to read it and more about teen marriages. Did you know that about 80% of these teen marriages end in … Read More... “LEGAL ALERT: Ohio Raises the Minimum Age to Marry to 18 in Most Cases”

Teen Marriages and the Push for Reform in Ohio

80% Of Teen Marriages End In Divorce, Teenage Brides At Risk For Abuse And Life Of Poverty

Are Teen Marriages Doomed To Fail?

If you ask someone the percentage of marriages that end in divorce, it’s likely that they will tell you 50%. If this is true, and 1 in 2 unions will eventually end, then clearly couples that get married have an uphill battle to make it last. On top of the typical hurdles that a marriage will have to overcome, a couple that chooses to marry while teenagers face an even more daunting task.

Dayton Daily News Investigation

In a study conducted by College of William and Mary law school, 80% of teen marriages ended in divorce. Click here to read the study. In the face of such sobering statistics, Ohio has seen a recent push to change the age that teens are allowed to legally marry. Currently, the law requires that females be at least 16, while males must be 18 to marry without judicial consent. That being said, there are exceptions made for younger, pregnant teens, if they have parental consent and juvenile court approval.

An investigation by the Dayton Daily News demonstrated that … Read More... “Teen Marriages and the Push for Reform in Ohio”