# Legalizing my french marriage in the USA



## moiclaire (Oct 8, 2010)

Hello,

My husband and I got married in French in 2008. I have the dual citizenship, he is american, we are now living in the USA. What do I need to do to make thi marriage legal in the states? 

Thanks for your help.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

You don't actually need to do anything. If you got married in France, notification should have been sent to the US consulate at the time (not that they do anything with that). If you need to "prove" your marriage, you should use your livret de famille, but it's rare anyone asks you to document that.

You may want to register with the French consulate, just to stay up to date on requirements and to have access to services like renewing your carte d'identité and passport.
Cheers,
Bev


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## moiclaire (Oct 8, 2010)

Bevdeforges said:


> You don't actually need to do anything. If you got married in France, notification should have been sent to the US consulate at the time (not that they do anything with that). If you need to "prove" your marriage, you should use your livret de famille, but it's rare anyone asks you to document that.
> 
> You may want to register with the French consulate, just to stay up to date on requirements and to have access to services like renewing your carte d'identité and passport.
> Cheers,
> Bev


Bev,

Thank you so much for your helpful response.
When you say that notifications should have be sent to the consulate at the time, do you mean we should have done it, or the French mairie should have done it? and Should this had been sent to the American consulate in Paris, or the French consulate in Los Angeles (I live in San Diego).
My husband is actually being a jerk, and told me that officially we were not "married". I just wanted to know how to make sure our marriage is legal. In case things get worse, Should I look into divorcing him in the sates or in France, as I am not even sure he would be cooperative. 

Claire


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

moiclaire said:


> Bev,
> 
> Thank you so much for your helpful response.
> When you say that notifications should have be sent to the consulate at the time, do you mean we should have done it, or the French mairie should have done it? and Should this had been sent to the American consulate in Paris, or the French consulate in Los Angeles (I live in San Diego).
> ...


You can divorce in any court that has jurisdiction. If you're both living in SD, then it's most probably your local county court. US courts really don't care whether one party is co-operative or not -- you'll still get your divorce.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

moiclaire said:


> When you say that notifications should have be sent to the consulate at the time, do you mean we should have done it, or the French mairie should have done it? and Should this had been sent to the American consulate in Paris, or the French consulate in Los Angeles (I live in San Diego).


The mairie normally sends notification to the US Consulate in Paris. (Not sure what, if anything, they do with the information.)

If you were born in France, the mairie also sent notification of your marriage to the town in which you were born. They make a "marginal notation" on your birth record, so the quickest way to find out if you're "really married" would be to request your French birth certificate from the mairie where you were born. (If you were naturalized or otherwise took nationality sometime after your birth, your French "birth record" should be at the office for foreign registrations in Nantes.)
Cheers,
Bev


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## moiclaire (Oct 8, 2010)

Bevdeforges said:


> The mairie normally sends notification to the US Consulate in Paris. (Not sure what, if anything, they do with the information.)
> 
> If you were born in France, the mairie also sent notification of your marriage to the town in which you were born. They make a "marginal notation" on your birth record, so the quickest way to find out if you're "really married" would be to request your French birth certificate from the mairie where you were born. (If you were naturalized or otherwise took nationality sometime after your birth, your French "birth record" should be at the office for foreign registrations in Nantes.)
> Cheers,
> Bev


I know I am married in France, I am more worried about being married in the states. How can I find out, if I am legally married in California? so If I have to start a divorce procedure (it seems like this is where we are heading), I can do it here (in the states). Then it'll be easier, when I go to France to have them notified of the divorce. Divorcing in France would be harder since I live in California. Before I hire a lawer, I need to make sure I am legally married here! 
Thanks again for all your responses, I really appreciate it, as I feel in a bite of a loophole!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

I have never heard of any problems with one country not recognizing a marriage from another country. (Except in the case of same-sex marriages.) There is probably a treaty on this subject somewhere, though I am not sure what it's called.

In the US, you generally start divorce proceedings in the state where one of you is resident. (One reason why Nevada is or was so popular for divorces - they had a very short period of residence necessary. Not sure if that's currently true or not.) The one "complication" to the question of divorce is that the courts in the US may not recognize your regime de mariage from France. They normally revert to the default ownership situation for the state in which you are living, though if you had a contract in France when you married, you may want to get a copy of that and have it translated.
Cheers,
Bev


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