‘Party 1’ And ‘Party 2’ Soon Will Get To Say ‘I Do’ Published September 25. 2005 12:01AM | Updated December 17. 2009 3:35PM By Karin Crompton, Development/Transportation/Demographics Reporter The scene: two men stand before a justice of the peace or a minister. It is a civil-union ceremony, and they have said their “I do’s” and exchanged rings. The officiant turns to the couple. “I now pronounce you …” Pronounce you what? Language, or terminology, is but one of the details facing JPs, town clerks and couples themselves as Oct. 1 draws near. Saturday marks the day when a new state law allowing […]
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Website Update – It’s Ready!
We are excited to announce that the JPus/findaJP website rebuild will be launched on August 12, 2021. The information below is intended to prepare our members so you know what to expect. Website Off-line During the new website’s launch, findaJP.com and JPus.org will be temporarily unavailable, starting on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 at 4:00PM. We are planning to be off-line for up to 24 hours. During this time members may not update profiles or renew memberships until the data migration is complete and the new site is live. Your membership is important to us. Please know that as we progress through […]
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 […]
2024 Testimony to End Child Marriage in New Hampshire
The Justice of the Peace Association submitted written testimony in support of New Hampshire’s 2024 bill to end child marriage. Thirty-three NH JPs signed onto JPus’ letter supporting the bill. Related Links Information about our advocacy and partnerships for officiants about child and forced marriage. Education and training for officiants about child and forced marriage JPus has been on the forefront of legislative activity to end child marriage in other states Follow our state-by-state changes to marriage laws How membership voted to join the Coalition to End Child Marriage Working with our partners amplifies our voice and helps achieve our goals
NH Talking Points 2020
Your Voice Counts! HB1599, an Act establishing a special marriage officiant license, continues to make its way through the NH General Court. JPus created these talking points for JPs and town clerks to help guide conversations. It will take one-on-one conversations and emails to defeat this bill. Invite your friends and family members to get involved, and ask them to contact their legislators, too. Contact Your Senator If you don’t know who your Senator is, click here. We recommend personal connections with senators. This will help them hear how implementation of this bill will hurt New Hampshirites. Our goal is to help the […]
JPs By State
About JPs by State: Connecticut JPs | Florida Notaries | Maine Notaries | Massachusetts JPs | New Hampshire JPs | Vermont JPs A Brief History of JPs Along with their meager possessions, the early English settlers brought to the new world a well-developed set of ideas about laws and justice. And though they sought freedom from an oppressive monarchy, they kept one of the king’s institutions: the Justice of the Peace. In the American colonies, every state had a Justice of the Peace system at one time or another, although specific duties varied from state to state, and still do. Since they […]
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 […]
VT Action Alert – Child Marriage
CALL TO ACTION in VERMONT End Child Marriage Ask the YOUR REPRESENTATIVE to Vote YES on H 148 Please take a few minutes to email or call your Representative and ask them to vote YES on H 148 Raising the Age of Marriage to 18. The House Committee on Judiciary is meeting on Thursday, February 16, 2023. There is no need for 16 & 17 year old children to marry – this isn’t about maturity, it is about legal rights. A child cannot retain an attorney, access domestic violence shelters, or sign a lease on a rental. New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey have already passed legislation making the age of marriage […]
Incorporating Your Kids into the Ceremony
There are 4 million stepchildren in this country (US Census Bureau 2010). That represents a lot of blended families! If you are about to join the ranks, get a solid start by involving your kids in your ceremony. After all, the commitment you’ll be making is not only to your new spouse. It is also to the children in the new family you are creating. Your ceremony should reflect that. Words Readings: Our previous blog on Readings suggested using children’s books. They have the most insightful truths. Depending on the ages of your children, select an excerpt of a children’s […]
NH 1599 – What Happened 2020
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 […]
Southern Vermont Region
Bennington and Windham Counties comprise beautiful Southern Vermont. Rolling hills and sparkling lakes capture our imagination. Whether along the Harriman Reservoir (aka Lake Whitningham) or at one of the 14 mountains in the area, the area is attractive year round for destination weddings. Deerfield Valley along the Hudson River borders the west, and southern New Hampshire to the east. Nestled in this area are charming quintessential New England towns. Southern Vermont’s lovely venues are perfect for small intimate affairs or large galas where all your friends and family can participate. Unsure what is the right venue for you? Let your JP […]
NH Special Marriage Officiant Bill – House 2020
Last year, with the support of NH JPs, JPus successfully blocked the special officiant bill. Since that time we worked behind the scenes to have language in the bill modified. Although we were led to believe that changes would be made, they weren’t. A new bill, HB 1599, was submitted for the 2020 session and the language remains the same as last year. Additional information about the bill and JPus’ activity is below in Related Links. The Justice of the Peace Association will be submitting this written statement to the New Hampshire House. It is in opposition to HB 1599, An […]
Oppose Temporary Marriage Officiant in NH
Your Voice Counts! HOW TO SUBMIT TESTIMONY The New Hampshire legislature held public hearings about HB295-FN-A, an Act establishing a special marriage officiant license. JPus created this guide for JPs and town clerks, because the legislators needed to hear from stakeholders to get their perspective of this legislation. All the effort paid off, and the bill died without passing. Written Testimony You may submit written testimony by email to your own legislators so they are aware of your position. If you don’t know who your Senator is, click here. Please also send a copy of your testimony to JPus at [email protected] so we can submit it to […]
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