Updated August 10, 2020 States and municipalities are reeling, trying to establish systems for what used to be routine business of government. Included in the mix is the processing of legal marriages. In Massachusetts, there has been a lack of direction or guidance – for JPs, clerks and couples. Many marriages have already been planned and need to be postponed. Other times, marriages are essential (health benefits, immigration issues, emotional duress), and need to proceed. There needs to be a plan to address both circumstances. Responsible, professional JPs have been role models. They completed COVID training certification for marriage officiants, and […]

Updated July 13, 2020 When it comes to amateur officiants in New Hampshire, the Justice of the Peace Association fights diligently on behalf of our members.That is because logic and righteousness are on our side. We’ve done the research. We’ve explored alternatives. We’ve built allies. And we played by the rules. A Quick Summary In June 2019, the legislative session ended with an upset. The special marriage officiant bill died after the Senate President blocked it – based on the problems raised by JPus. While we were successful, we also knew that our work wasn’t done. The bill would be […]

the When legal or social issues affect our membership’s marriage-related duties, JPus gets involved. JPus represents membership, advocating on their behalf: Supporting legislation, engaging the media, training officiants Are there policies or legislation brewing in your community that affect justices of the peace? Let JPus know – we’re here to support you! At the Justice of the Peace Association, we work for the change we want to see. We are an inclusive organization that believes in the equality of all people. Our activities reflect our core values. Amateur Marriage Officiants Lay-officiants give professional JPs a bad name. This includes state-sanctioned […]

We are thrilled that Senator Anne Gobi is taking the lead and resubmitting the Resolve to Evaluate the One-Day Solemnizer Rule. In addition, she is also submitting two Bills that support JPs. Before doing this, she asked Massachusetts JPus members to weigh in. These are the poll results. 100% of the Massachusetts JPs who responded to our poll would like to have the fees they may charge increased.   93% of the JPs who responded to our poll would like the application fees for 1-Day Solemnizers increased.   Comments provided by survey respondents, edited for clarity & length Thank you […]