Even if you’re not technically divorced yet, you may have started thinking about your next marriage. How soon after the divorce can you legally tie the knot with someone else? Could you get divorced on Thursday and get married on Friday, if you wanted?
In New Jersey, anyone who asks for a marriage license has to wait for at least 72 hours. There are some exceptions to this rule — such as a medical emergency — but it holds true in most cases. This means you couldn’t get married just a day later, but would have to get divorced and ask for the marriage license by at least Tuesday for a Friday wedding.
However, there are not any additional wait times after a divorce. As long as the divorce is finalized and you get the marriage license three days before the wedding, both the divorce and marriage are legal.
It’s important for those who have moved to New Jersey from other states to note that this is a state-specific law, and so it could be very different from the laws they are used to. For example, in Nebraska, you cannot get married after a divorce until six months have gone by. In Alabama, you would have to wait for 60 days, while the laws in Texas mandate that you wait 30 days.
As you can see, getting divorced can have other legal ramifications that you may not have considered before. While New Jersey leaves you free to do as you please regarding a second marriage, it’s important to consider all of the ways that the split is going to impact your life going forward.
Source: About Marriage, “U.S. Waiting Times After A Divorce,” Sheri Stritof, accessed May 25, 2016