Legal Definitions - occult marriage

The term occult marriage is another name for a confidential marriage. It refers to a legally valid marriage where the official records, such as the marriage license and certificate, are sealed and not accessible to the general public. This means that while the couple is legally married, the details of their union are kept private and cannot be easily looked up by others. Only the married couple themselves, or individuals with a specific court order, can access these records.

Couples typically choose a confidential marriage to maintain a high degree of privacy regarding their marital status, often due to personal, professional, or safety concerns. It is important to note that a confidential marriage is just as legally binding and valid as any other marriage; the only difference lies in the privacy of its official documentation.

• Example 1: High-Profile Individuals Seeking Privacy

  A globally recognized pop star and a prominent tech entrepreneur decide to marry. Given their immense public profiles, they anticipate intense media scrutiny and paparazzi attention if their marriage details were to become public. By opting for a confidential marriage, they can legally formalize their union without their marriage license and certificate becoming publicly searchable documents, thereby protecting their personal lives from unwanted public intrusion.

  This example illustrates how a confidential marriage allows individuals in the public eye to safeguard their privacy and avoid media sensationalism by keeping their marital records sealed from public access.

• Example 2: Protection in Sensitive Circumstances

  A person who has recently relocated and changed their identity due to a past abusive relationship wishes to marry their new partner. They are concerned that a public marriage record could potentially reveal their new location or identity to their former abuser, jeopardizing their safety. A confidential marriage provides the legal recognition of their union while ensuring that their marital status and associated personal details remain private, offering a crucial layer of protection.

  Here, the confidential marriage serves as a vital safeguard, preventing sensitive personal information from becoming publicly accessible, which could otherwise pose a significant risk to one of the parties.

• Example 3: Professional or Security Concerns

  A senior intelligence officer, whose work involves highly classified national security matters, decides to marry. While their marriage is a personal event, they want to prevent any possibility of their spouse or their marital details becoming a target for foreign adversaries or undue public pressure. A confidential marriage ensures that their personal union is legally recognized without creating a public record that could be exploited or scrutinized for political, professional, or security reasons.

  This example demonstrates how a confidential marriage can be utilized to protect individuals in sensitive professional roles from potential security risks or unwanted public and political interference by keeping their marital details private.