You know you have to have your parents’ blessings before getting married, especially when you’re still in your early twenties. However, which legal requirement should you get, the parental consent or parental advice?
In case both or either one of you is between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, you are required to submit to the local civil registrar the consent of your father, mother, surviving parent or guardian, or persons having legal charge over you, in that order. The parental consent is written in form and the parents or guardian should appear personally before the civil registrar. The consent could also be in the form of an affidavit made in the presence of two witnesses and attested before any official authorized by law to administer oaths. These will be attached to the application for the marriage license.
Should you fail to procure the parental consent, your marriage is deemed voidable or annullable, that a petition for the annulment of the marriage may be filed by your parents, guardian or person having substitute parental authority over you, in that order.
Though after attaining the age of twenty-one, and you both lived together as husband and wife, the marriage is ratified.
In case both or either one of you is between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-five, you are obliged to ask your parents or guardian for the parental advice. This is also written in form, and accompanied by a sworn statement by both of you that such advice was sought. These are attached to the application for the marriage license. Should the parents or guardian refuse to give any advice, this fact shall be stated in the sworn statement. If your parents refuse to give you advice or if the advice is unfavorable, then the marriage license will not be issued until after three months following the completion of the publication of the application for the marriage license.
In addition to the parental consent or advice, if both or either one of you is between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, you need to procure a certificate issued by a priest, imam or minister authorized to solemnize marriages or a duly accredited marriage counselor to certify that you have undergone marriage counseling. Failure to provide such shall also suspend the issuance of the marriage license for three months from the completion of the publication of the marriage license application.
