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”