Legal Definitions - sequential marriage

The term "sequential marriage" describes the common and legally permissible practice of an individual entering into multiple marriages over the course of their lifetime, provided that each preceding marriage has been legally dissolved before a new one is contracted. This dissolution typically occurs through a divorce or the death of a spouse. It is crucial to distinguish sequential marriage from bigamy, which is the illegal act of being married to more than one person at the same time.

Here are some examples illustrating sequential marriage:

• Example 1: Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage

  Scenario: Sarah and Mark were married for ten years before deciding to legally divorce. A few years after their divorce was finalized, Sarah met David and they decided to marry. Mark also later remarried after his divorce from Sarah.

  Explanation: Both Sarah and Mark engaged in sequential marriage. Their first marriage was legally terminated through divorce, making them free to legally marry new partners. Each marriage occurred in sequence, with no overlap, making both subsequent marriages entirely legal.

• Example 2: Widowhood and Remarriage

  Scenario: John was married to Emily for forty years until Emily passed away. After a period of grieving, John met Susan and they decided to marry.

  Explanation: John's marriage to Susan is a sequential marriage. His first marriage to Emily was legally dissolved by Emily's death, which legally freed John to enter into a new marriage with Susan. There was no overlap between his marriages, making his marriage to Susan a legal sequential marriage.

• Example 3: Multiple Divorces and Remarriages

  Scenario: Maria first married Robert, but they divorced after five years. Later, she married Michael, and that marriage also ended in divorce. Several years after her second divorce, Maria married Daniel.

  Explanation: Maria's marital history demonstrates sequential marriage multiple times. Each of her previous marriages was legally terminated through divorce before she entered into a new one. At no point was she legally married to more than one person simultaneously, thus all her marriages are considered sequential and legal.