Legal Definitions - bigamy

Bigamy refers to the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still being legally married to another person. In essence, it means having two spouses simultaneously. When bigamy occurs, the second marriage is considered legally invalid or 'void' from the start, meaning it never truly existed in the eyes of the law. The first, legitimate marriage remains unaffected. Bigamy is typically a criminal offense, particularly if the individual knowingly entered into the second marriage while aware of their existing marital status.

Here are some examples to illustrate bigamy:

• Example 1: David is legally married to Sarah. After a disagreement, David moves to a different state and, without obtaining a divorce from Sarah, he meets and marries Emily. David's marriage to Emily is an act of bigamy because he was still legally married to Sarah when he entered into the second marriage. The marriage to Emily would be considered void under the law.

• Example 2: Maria marries Michael in her home country. She later moves to a new country for work. Believing that her marriage to Michael might not be recognized in her new country, or simply choosing to ignore it, she marries John without ever legally divorcing Michael. Maria's marriage to John constitutes bigamy because she was still legally married to Michael when she married John, regardless of her belief about the recognition of her first marriage.

• Example 3: Robert is legally married to Lisa. He frequently travels for business and, during one of his trips, he meets Jessica. Robert intentionally conceals his existing marriage to Lisa and proposes to Jessica, eventually marrying her. Robert's marriage to Jessica is bigamous because he was already legally married to Lisa at the time. Since he knowingly entered into the second marriage while still married, this would likely be considered a criminal offense.