In a special Ask Agnes episode, Ryan reads reader questions about odd and outdated U.S. marriage and relationship laws, and Agnes reacts. Topics include a permission rule for false teeth, a bird-shooting rule, a law on seduction under promise of marriage, marriage on a dare, proxy marriages for deployed service members, cohabitation laws, child marriage and cousin marriage. Agnes advises checking with an attorney about any real situation.
Takeaways
- Many strange marriage laws are old or unenforced, but Agnes advises checking with an attorney before assuming a law no longer applies.
- Cohabitation, common-law marriage and cousin-marriage rules vary by state, so look up your own state.
- Proxy marriages exist for deployed service members in some states, and Agnes notes they were common for royals historically.
Chapters
- 0:00 Welcome and the special Ask Agnes format
- 4:12 Why old marriage laws exist
- 8:25 A false-teeth permission law
- 9:58 Adultery and broken engagements
- 11:35 A bird-shooting marriage law
- 12:37 A seduction-by-promise-of-marriage law
- 15:13 Marriage on a dare and annulment
- 17:45 Double proxy marriage for service members
- 20:51 Cohabitation laws and common-law marriage
- 22:58 Child marriage
- 25:03 Marriage between cousins
- 31:22 Wrap-up and mailbag
More episodes: Love, Death & Taxes · all episodes