The Legal Stuff

Legal Matters

Before the Ceremony

A Notice of Intended Marriage must be completed and lodged with your celebrant at least 1 month and not more than 18 months prior to your ceremony.

Your celebrant will provide the paperwork or you may down load from The Attorney Generals Department: www.ag.gov.au/FamiliesAndMarriage/Marriage/Documents/NoticeOfIntended MarriageForm.pdf

It is a good idea to have your birth certificate ready (original only – an extract won’t do) if you were born in Australia. You may obtain this from Births, Death & Marriages in the state you were born.

New South Wales

Tel: 1300 655 236

www.bdm.nsw.gov.au

Victoria

Tel: 1300 369 367

www.bdm.vic.gov.au

ACT

Tel: 02 6207 0460

www.ors.act.gov.au

Western Australia

Tel: 1300 305 021

www.bdm.wa.gov.au

Northern Territory

Tel: 08 8999 6119

www.nt.gov.au/justice/bdm

Tasmania

Tel: 03 6233 3786

www.justice.tas.gov.au/bdm

South Australia

Tel: 08 8204 9599

www.ocba.sa.gov.au

Queensland

Tel: 07 3247 5732

www.justice.qld.gov.au/bdm

If you were born overseas but are now an Australian Citizen you will need your birth certificate from your country of birth. If this is not written in the english language it must be translated into english by an authorised translator. You may find the translator closest to you at www.naati.com.au.

If you were born overseas and are not an Australian Citizen you will need your current passport as identification. This must also be translated into english.

If you are unable to supply the necessary legal paperwork, you will need to supply a statutory declaration to this effect. Your celebrant will be able to assist you with this.

Remember, the Notice of Intended Marriage must be lodged with your celebrant at least 1 month before your ceremony. In a very few circumstances you may apply to a Judge of the Courts to have this time reduced.

You will also need the permission of the Court to marry if you are under 18 years of age.

During the Ceremony

You will need two witnesses over the age of 18 years.

After the Ceremony

Although you will have signed 3 certificates during the ceremony, you will also need to apply to Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state in which you were married for an official Certificate of Marriage.

This is necessary in order to apply for a passport, drivers licence or to change your name on your bank documentation. You will find an application for this in your compendium or contact Births, Deaths & Marriages in the in which you were married.