Need Advice on How to find out if I am still married?

negrecita2003 · #1 09-26-2003, 11:17 PM

Can anyone tell me the answer to my crazy life history.

When I was 17 years old, I met a Dominican in the US and traveled with him to La Vega, Dominican Republic, where we got married once I turned 18, thinking I was in love. (what the hell was I thinking???) I then returned to the states without him, since he was over here initially illegally. Do you see where I am going with this! I traveled 3 months later to visit him and when I came back to the states, I realized that this is not what I thought it was. I never talked to him after that. It has been almost 10 years and I have never gotten a divorce, nor do I have any of the paperwork from the wedding. I threw everything out 10 years ago. How do I find out if I am still legally married over there? The funny thing about this whole situation, is that when I did get married 10 years ago, I never gave them my birth certificate like it says they need for you to get married. The ceremony was done in Spanish and at that time, I did not know anything they were saying during the civil ceremony.

Now 10 years later, this is coming back to bite me in the butt. Five years ago, I was visiting my son's family in Santo Domingo and I met a really nice guy and we kept in touch over the last 5 years by phone and then last year we started to get serious about each other. I went down in August of this year and we decided to get together as a couple and now we want to get married. We are thinking of doing the Fiance Visa thing and getting married here in the States once he is over here. I want to file my Fiance Visa in December when I come back from visiting him again, but I am not sure what to do with my previous problem.

If anyone can please direct me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it.

hansbert · #2 09-27-2003, 09:18 AM

If in the meanwhile there has been a divorce some documents related to it must exist. The divorce must have been recorded in the civil registry office where you you got married.
Hire a lawyer to perform a search !

Lisselot · #3 09-30-2003, 06:45 PM

You will have to contact someone to do the search; no documentation is needed for that: you will only need the names and date of marriage.

Dolores · #4 09-30-2003, 07:34 PM

Were you married by a justice of peace? Do you remember presenting your passport? How many witnesses signed? Could it be possible the wedding was a fake? You would need to remember where (exact place in order to check the registry) you got married and the date for someone to do a search to start the process to find out if a divorce has been processed. You could always track down the person you married and ask him. You would need a lawyer to confirm this, but it is possible you could have been divorced on grounds of having abandoned the marriage. Normally, two persons need to consent to a divorce.

negrecita2003 · #5 09-30-2003, 10:46 PM

Dolores,

From what i can remember, we got married in a small brick building in la vega by someone behind a desk. I don't remember any witnesses signing for us, but that was 10 years ago and I was so nervous that the whole situation flashed in front of my eyes. I am almost positive that I didn't provide my passport, but who the hell knows now. I know the month and year we got married but I am not quite sure of the exact date. Since I turned 18 on the 9th of April, I know it was right after that. If I can not get a hold of the guy I married, who and how can I contact someone to do the research for me? Any idea on how expensive this can be? Thanks

Criss Colon · #6 10-01-2003, 12:30 PM

It is almost impossible to find paperwork regarding anything here in the DR! And that is when you WANT to!! Just forget that you were ever married! No one will ever go to Moca and look for anything,let alone find anything!

I must admit,that you are now going to make the same mistake again??????

Maybe you need a "Reality Check",or a visit to the DR1 "Mars Venus Forum" where you can read all about "Relationships" with Dominican Men!

Best of Luck no matter what! CCCCCCCCCccris Colon

negrecita2003 · #7 10-01-2003, 12:55 PM

Chris,

What makes you think that they won't find anything out? Is their technology not up to date like her in the states. I just don't want to have any problems.

In regards to your "Reality Check" I am just fine. I was 17 at the time that i got married to that guy and yes, I should have had a reality check back then. What happened back then opened my eyes to everything. Since then, I have put myself through college and I am a very well educated woman. I actually think I went through that first experience for a reason.

I can understand completely where you are coming from with this. I know what it is like to have a realtionship with a Dominican man. My son's father and I were together for 6 years, here in the states. We actually met here in the states and he was a US citizen at the time of meeting. Everyones experience is different.

If I really want to, I can leave my life over here in the states and move the DR and live with him over there. This man comes from a very well respected and well off family in the DR and he does not need to come over here to be able to survive, he could easily support my son and myself in the DR. We decided things would be easier if we lived in the states, considering my son was born in the states and I think the life over there would be a shock to him. I on the other hand would not mind it at all. But thanks for the advice!

ricktoronto · #8 10-01-2003, 01:31 PM

If you are depressed and not having sex regularly or at all you're still married.

negrecita2003 · #9 10-01-2003, 01:34 PM

Rick,

What are you saying????

AnnaC · #10 10-01-2003, 01:38 PM

Don't worry about Rick he's just a funny guy sometimes.