Woman in mask on video conference

Marriage License Requires Personal Appearance

“There is now no excuse when the question comes up for marriage. You can do it by Zoom. Yes or no.”

With these words, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced he would issue an executive order waiving the requirement for would-be spouses to appear personally to get a marriage license, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. And, rather appropriately, Cuomo announced this via Twitter.

Covid-19 marriage by Zoom?

However, in view of Coronavirus, media reports that Gov. Cuomo has suspended the in-person requirement, and is allowing couples to both get the license via video teleconferencing, as well as actually conducting the ceremony that way.

Note that couples wishing to obtain a divorce in New York are not so lucky – instead of Covid-19 causing the courts to relax dissolution of marriage cases and conducting hearings by video conference, New York simply suspended new divorce cases altogether for 2 months, only ending this divorce moratorium in May.

Colorado Marriage by Email During Pandemic

Readers of the Colorado Family Law Guide will recognize that Colorado has similar requirements – per , both parties must sign the license, although only one is required to appear in person at the county clerk. For more information about Colorado’s requirements for marriage, see the Entering Into Marriage article in the Colorado Family Law Guide.

And while New York’s announcement has received more fanfare, Colorado has actually gone one step further. The El Paso County Clerk & Recorder is temporarily allowing couples to apply for and obtain the marriage license via email!

Divorce By Zoom?

Colorado courts are temporarily closed to routine business. But this does NOT mean cases have come to a screeching halt. On the contrary, as we recently addressed in a blog post, most domestic relations hearings, including divorces, are being done via telephone or video teleconference.

Fair’s fair – if a couple can end their marriage via video conference, it’s only appropriate that they can enter into marriage the same way.

Award-Winning El Paso County Family Law Firm

Graham.Law Team

U.S. News & World Report calls Graham.Law one of the Best Law Firms in America, and our managing partner is a Colorado Super Lawyer. Our family law attorneys have years of experience helping clients navigate the Colorado legal system. We know Colorado divorce & family law inside and out, from complex multi-million dollar property or child custody cases to basic child support modifications.

For more information about our top-rated El Paso County family law firm, contact us by filling out our contact form, calling us at (719) 630-1123 to set up a free consult, or click on:

Colorado Family Law. Period.