Search Results for "MA-Massachusetts/town/capecod/Nantucket"

MA Legislative Poll 2021

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 […]

MA One-Day Solemnizer Resolve

In the 2021 session of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Senator Anne Gobi sponsored a Resolve to evaluate the state’s temporary officiant rule. Previously, during the 2019 session, Senator Julian Cyr sponsored a similar Resolve.  Resolve S.2063 – 1-Day Solemnizers To form a special commission to investigate and study the effects of Massachusetts’s one-day solemnizer rule on JPs, 1-Day solemnizers, or people who have been married by either. Commission Members: The secretary of state or a designee, whom shall serve as chair of the special commission; One member of the senate, whom shall be appointed by the […]

How to Get a Marriage License During COVID-19?

Updated May 7, 2021 How to Get a Marriage License? The national, state and local response to COVID-19 is drastic. The message: stay home. If there was any doubt at the seriousness of the direction, it was made abundantly clear when municipal offices started shuttering. Because marriage licenses are issued at Town Clerk’s offices, and many of them are closed to the public, this poses new challenges for couples. FindaJP and the Justice of the Peace Association are working with state officials to provide information to couples looking to secure a marriage license. Below is the most current direction we’ve […]

Khan Thanks Coalition to End Child Marriage

The Justice of the Peace Association is a founding member of the national Coalition to End Child Marriage. In addition, JPus is an active member of state coalitions with the same name. Representative Kay Khan We are grateful for Massachusetts State Representative Kay Khan ‘s leadership to end child marriage in the Commonwealth. Nonetheless, she thanks us! On May 31, 2022 she sent the following thanks and update to JPus and other Coalition members. Dear Members of the Massachusetts Coalition to End Child Marriage, Please know that I am exceedingly grateful to all of you who helped create and support […]

MA One-Day Solemnizers

The Problem Justice of the Peace Association members have long decried the problem of the lay officiant. In Massachusetts the One-Day Solemnizer causes particular distress. The Governor’s office appoints both One-Dayers and JPs, but treats each differently. This puts professional JPs at a disadvantage. In response to a request from Governor Baker’s office, JPus submitted a white paper that identified four problems with the rule: The state treats lay and professional officiants differently and unfairly, to the detriment of JPs. Municipal town clerks complain that as many as 90% of One-Day Solemnizers made significant legal errors, doubling the amount of […]

Amateur Officiants

Online Officiants Online officiants are individuals who secure permission to solemnize marriages through the auspices of a religious organization, most often the Universal Life Church (ULC). Typically, they are lay people who fill out a form online so they can marry their friend or family member. Some use the authorization to circumvent JP rules which limit the number of civil officiants per town. There are no regulations or oversight to ensure compliance with state laws. Oftentimes the ULC ministers treat the legal act of marrying couples as frivolously as the ULC distributes certifications, invalidating marriages. Massachusetts’ One-Day Solemnizers The biggest […]

NH Special Marriage Officiants: What Happened 2019

In the spring of 2019, the Justice of the Peace Association persisted in its opposition to the New Hampshire House Bill 295-FN-A, an act establishing a special marriage officiant license. Despite the odds, the bill eventually died in conference. Following is what transpired. It was early January 2019 when New Hampshire Justice of the Peace Cynthia Dumont called JPus to alert us to HB 295-FN-A. This bill, if passed, would temporarily authorize an individual to solemnize a marriage in the state. JPus members in Massachusetts and Vermont made us aware of how amateur officiants have negatively impacted their business. The town clerks […]

Partnerships

We form strategic partnerships with individuals, groups and organizations that share our goal of supporting marriage officiants with the performance of their duties. Doing so allows us to broaden our strength and influence, and be a more effective leader and representative for our members. Public Agencies Secretary of State’s offices & Town Clerks The Secretary of State‘s offices and town clerks are important stakeholders to us, and our natural partners. Their role complements that of officiants in marriage’s legal process. Working together benefits all parties, because it improves communication. Connecting couples with our members is our core service. So, we are […]

Holiday Networking in MA

Make new connections and nurture opportunities! Mix and mingle with your fellow JPs and town clerks. We hope to see you at our Holiday Networking Event   **UPDATE: Event at Bertucci’s in Waltham, MA has been rescheduled. Stay-tuned for new date.**   Getting together with our colleagues creates new opportunities and connections – and it’s fun! JPs, town clerks and other stakeholders are all invited to attend. This will be a terrific opportunity to meet and connect with our fellow officiants, municipal and state leaders on a social level. Let’s build upon our shared interests and find new ones. Getting to know some of […]

NH Special Officiants

The Problem In New Hampshire, under ethically questionable circumstances, legislators passed a bill allowing amateur wedding officiants. This happened despite the significant problems with Vermont and Massachusetts’ lay-officiant rules. Beyond belittling professional JPs and creating loopholes that put vulnerable citizens at risk, town clerks in both states complain that temporary officiants have doubled their workload and jeopardized the validity of marriages. Now with the coronavirus, they increase the risk of community spread, too. Legislative Activity 2020 A bill to allow special marriage officiants, HB1599, was introduced for the 2020 legislative session; it died in the House. Under guise of the […]

Southern Coast, Maine

As the name suggests, the southern coast of Maine is located just over the New Hampshire border. The first town encountered when crossing the Memorial Bridge is Kittery, established in 1647 and the oldest town in the state.  Along the bucolic shoreline are beaches and then more beaches. Taken together with the art galleries and antique shops, there are countless nooks for an elopement. Not to mention the scenic shoreline with marinas and private clubs for a larger wedding affair. Unsure what is the right place for you? Let your notary know what you are looking for, and he or […]

One-Day Rule: The Problem

The Problem Justice of the Peace Association members have long decried the problem of the lay officiant. In Massachusetts the One-Day Solemnizer causes particular distress. Problems include: The state treats lay and professional officiants differently and unfairly, to the detriment of JPs. Municipal town clerks complain that as many as 90% of One-Day Solemnizers made significant legal errors, doubling the amount of work they had to do. One-Day Solemnizers compromise the integrity of the marriage license and are “loose with the law”. Couples who use a One-Day Solemnizer may unwittingly jeopardize the validity of their marriage because important paperwork isn’t […]

MA – Call to Action

End Child Marriage in Massachusetts – Call to Action Last summer’s bill to end child marriage is now in the Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee. Follow our step-by-step guide to contact your legislators and let them know why you oppose child marriage. Read more about it here.