Legal Definitions - trigamy

Trigamy refers to a complex legal situation involving three consecutive marriages. It describes the act of marrying a third person when the second marriage was legally void from its inception because the individual was still lawfully married to their first spouse at that time. This specific sequence means that the second marriage never held legal validity, which can significantly impact how the third marriage is viewed under the law, particularly in the context of bigamy charges.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: The Void Second Marriage

  Eleanor legally marries Arthur. Years later, without obtaining a divorce from Arthur, Eleanor marries Ben. Because Arthur is still alive and no divorce has occurred, Eleanor's marriage to Ben is legally void from the moment it took place. Subsequently, Arthur passes away. While Ben is still alive, Eleanor marries Charles. In this scenario, Eleanor's marriage to Charles would not be considered bigamous because her prior marriage to Ben was never legally valid due to her existing marriage to Arthur. The legal chain of validity for the second marriage was broken from the start.

• Example 2: A Defense Against Bigamy

  David marries Maria in 2008. In 2012, without divorcing Maria, David marries Sophia. This marriage to Sophia is legally void because David is still married to Maria. In 2015, David obtains a divorce from Maria. In 2017, while Sophia is still alive, David marries Olivia. If David were to be charged with bigamy for marrying Olivia, his legal defense could be based on trigamy. He would argue that his marriage to Sophia was void from the beginning due to his existing marriage to Maria. Therefore, when he married Olivia, he was not legally married to Sophia, and thus did not commit bigamy in relation to Olivia.

• Example 3: Involving a Common-Law Marriage

  Liam enters into a recognized common-law marriage with Chloe in a jurisdiction where such marriages are legally valid. Later, without ending his common-law marriage to Chloe, Liam formally marries Isabelle in a civil ceremony. This marriage to Isabelle is void because Liam is still legally married to Chloe. Chloe then legally divorces Liam. While Isabelle is still alive, Liam marries Grace. Should Liam face a bigamy charge for marrying Grace, he could assert that his marriage to Isabelle was void from the start due to his existing common-law marriage with Chloe. Consequently, he was not legally married to Isabelle when he married Grace, making the charge of bigamy for the marriage to Grace invalid.