Commonlaw marriage and N400 form

[thedutt]

Me and my wife have married 3 times (yup we are crazy, maybe 1 more to go!).

Marriage 1: Common law marrage in TX registered with county clerk
Marriage 2: Private Indian ceremony in US
Marriage 3: 1 year from marriage 1, a civil marriage under justice of peace

My wife got her green card through her work (waiting on the actual card to come though). I am past the 5 year requirement for citizenship and while filling out the form I was not sure which ceremony to report as our marriage date.
Your help is appreciated in advance. My thought is to report the earliest marriage (common law marriage in texas), but not sure if feds recognize it. The hindu ceremony was in a temple w/o any paper work.

 

[Bobsmyth]

Me and my wife have married 3 times (yup we are crazy, maybe 1 more to go!).

Marriage 1: Common law marrage in TX registered with county clerk
Marriage 2: Private Indian ceremony in US
Marriage 3: 1 year from marriage 1, a civil marriage under justice of peace

My wife got her green card through her work (waiting on the actual card to come though). I am past the 5 year requirement for citizenship and while filling out the form I was not sure which ceremony to report as our marriage date.
Your help is appreciated in advance. My thought is to report the earliest marriage (common law marriage in texas), but not sure if feds recognize it. The hindu ceremony was in a temple w/o any paper work.

Report the earliest legal marriage, in your case the common law marriage.

Texas calls it an "informal marriage," rather than a common-law marriage. Under § 2.401 of the Texas Family Code, an informal marriage can be established either by declaration (registering at the county courthouse without having a ceremony), or by meeting a 3-prong test showing evidence of (1) an agreement to be married; (2) cohabitation in Texas; and (3) representation to others that the parties are married. A 1995 update adds an evidentiary presumption that there was no marriage if no suit for proof of marriage is filed within two years of the date the parties separated and ceased living together

 

[thedutt]

Report the earliest legal marriage, in your case the common law marriage.

Texas calls it an "informal marriage," rather than a common-law marriage. Under § 2.401 of the Texas Family Code, an informal marriage can be established either by declaration (registering at the county courthouse without having a ceremony), or by meeting a 3-prong test showing evidence of (1) an agreement to be married; (2) cohabitation in Texas; and (3) representation to others that the parties are married. A 1995 update adds an evidentiary presumption that there was no marriage if no suit for proof of marriage is filed within two years of the date the parties separated and ceased living together

Thanks for your response Bob!