5.01Activity 1 True-False for Terms

______1. A valid premarital agreement may be oral

______2. The marriage contract comes into existence when the couple becomes engaged

______3. The primary duty that arises from a marriage contract is the duty financial support.

______4. A common-law marriage that is entered into in one state that recognizes it, is valid only in that state.

______5. A divorce or annulment is required to terminate a common-law marriage.

______6. All 50 states require a blood test and or physical exam prior to a marriage license being issued.

______7. Both parties may be absent from the marriage ceremony if agents are there to represent them in a proxy marriage.

______8. About half of the states do allow marriage of persons related by affinity.

______9. Bigamy and polygamy mean exactly the same thing, it just depends on the state.

______10. Bigamy and polygamy are a crime in every state.

5.01 Activity 2Completion

  1. An engaged couple has a ______marriage contract.
  1. The legal term for the age at which marriage is permitted is the age of ______.
  1. The personal relationship between two persons who are united as husband and wife is called______.
  1. Married couples have the right to file a______return.
  1. One of the important things that couples that are married get when the other spouse dies is______.
  1. Another name for a premarital agreement is______agreement.
  1. Any common-law marriage that was originated in a state that does recognize such marriages has to be recognized in every state based on the U. S. Constitution’s ______.
  1. ______states and the District of Columbia currently recognize common-law marriages.
  1. ______allows for a proxy marriage which is when one or both people involved in the marriage cannot be present, such as but not limited to military members.
  1. A certificate called a ______is usually necessary for a ceremonial marriage.

5.01 Activity 3 Apply and Debate

  1. Jerry Banks asks Jennifer Sands to marry him and gives her a diamond ring which he places on her finger. She accepts the ring and the proposal. 4 months later Jennifer cancels the engagement for no reason. In addition she refuses to return the engagement ring and told Jerry she had the right to keep the ring under the law. Is Jennifer correct? Why or why not?
  1. Meridith wants to keep using her maiden name after she and Larry get married. Larry takes exception to it and tells her that the law requires her to use his last name. Meridith decides to take Larry to court over the issue. How would you decide this case? Yes or no? Why?
  1. Prior to getting married Polly and Frederick enter into an oral premarital agreement. They both agree that if something happens and their marriage ends, that Polly will get the furniture in their house and Frederick will get their car.

Is this agreement valid and enforceable?

5.01 Activity 4Critical Thinking

  1. A period of time after Antonio and LinaPuzo were married in the United States, Antonio discovered that Lina had a husband in Italy whom she had never divorced. Antonio left Lina and brought a suit to have their marriage declared void. Lina Objected.

Question: Should the court declare the marriage void? (PuzovsPuzo, 173 N.E.2d 268 Massachusetts)

  1. Frank Orwell and Dorothy Fleener decided to marry where they lived in Alabama. Neither believed in formal ceremonies. They just simply agreed that they were husband and wife. They then lived together and told everyone that they were husband and wife too. After living in this arrangement for about six years, Frank decided to leave Dorothy. Dorothy claimed they were legally married and insisted on a formal divorce. Is she correct?