Search Results for "NH-New%2520Hampshire/town/strafford/Farmington"

Maine raises age to wed

Children must be 16 to marry in Maine Not quite what we were hoping for, but a step in the right direction. The minimum age to marry in Maine is now 16. Prior to this new law going into effect on January 1, 2020, any child, no matter how young, was allowed to marry if their parent and a probate judge approved. Read more about JPus’ work to end child marriage Stay current with other changes to marriage laws 

Mobilize NH: HB1599

Your voice is needed! New Hampshire’s Special Marriage Officiant bill, HB1599, is expected to come before the House of Representatives for a vote tomorrow. And then it will go to the Senate. That’s where we come in. We’ll need all NH JPs to get involved if we want to defeat this legislation. We have a Zoom call scheduled for Monday to answer your questions, and talking points to help you focus your message.  Read more about our strategy and get the details.

Support to End Child Marriage – NH

18 to Wed – No exceptions The Justice of the Peace Association submitted written testimony in support of HB 1516. The bill would end all marriages in the state of New Hampshire for anyone younger than 18. The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 1:30. See JPus’ statement and read more about our work to end child marriage.

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 […]

JP Appointment Process White Paper

In response to many complaints from Connecticut JPs and Town Clerks, in 2022 the Justice of the Peace Association researched how civil marriage officiants are appointed in the state. Given that, the following white paper summarizes our findings and legislative recommendations. Related Links On March 10, 2023, JPus testified to the Connecticut Planning and Development Committee. See JPus’s survey results about officiant qualifications and appointments. See how JPus is advocating to address the problems with amateur officiants Learn about the JP and notary role, state-by-state We advocate on other marriage-related issues