The main duty of a Massachusetts Justice of the Peace is to solemnize marriages. They can, however, be asked to perform certain other specific duties. All of this is explored in more detail below, along with details about how someone becomes a JP in the Commonwealth and what they need to know.
A JP is appointed by the Governor, with the Executive Council's advice and consent, for a seven year term. They can only be appointed for the municipality which includes their own residence. However, JPs can perform marriages anywhere in the Commonwealth.
One JP may be appointed for every 5,000 residents in a municipality. Only persons with a good moral character and active in community affairs may apply. Their application must have signatures from at least five prominent community members. JPs are also expected to be familiar with the regulations that govern their own conduct and responsibilities.
They have the authority to take acknowledgements, similar to notaries public. They can be asked to administer an oath to an office holder if the law requires it, and they may have to take depositions through written interrogatories. JPs can charge fees for performance of such duties, subject to maximum limits as specified under the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Getting back to the weddings, a JP may ask for and accept a maximum of $100 as a fee for officiating over a marriage within his or her municipal limits. For ceremonies outside their hometown, they are allowed to charge $150. This does not cover add-on fees for rehearsals, prenuptial counseling sessions and other special arrangements required by a couple for their ceremony.
JPs normally travel on their own to the place where the ceremony is to be conducted. There is no requirement that any specific words have to be used to solemnize marriages. Both parties to the wedding must clearly state they accept the other as a spouse, and the JP then announces the marriage to be legal in his or her capacity as authorized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
There are certain delicate aspects that need to be touched on here. For instance, JPs are not allowed to advertise their availability for marriages. Unlike other service providers, they cannot place advertisements in newspapers, magazines and other publications. However, finding a JP is not hard because the official database maintained by the Secretary of State's Office can be searched online to get hold of a list of JPs in a specific town, city or region.
Another prickly issue for JPs is that the law forbids them from refusing to solemnize marriages, unless it is the law itself that stops the couple from getting married. Many couples also make the mistake of expecting the Massachusetts Justice of the Peace to provide the marriage license. This only works if the clerk at the city or town hall is also the JP. Even if this is true, there will be a mandatory three-day waiting period before the clerk can issue the marriage license.
A JP is appointed by the Governor, with the Executive Council's advice and consent, for a seven year term. They can only be appointed for the municipality which includes their own residence. However, JPs can perform marriages anywhere in the Commonwealth.
One JP may be appointed for every 5,000 residents in a municipality. Only persons with a good moral character and active in community affairs may apply. Their application must have signatures from at least five prominent community members. JPs are also expected to be familiar with the regulations that govern their own conduct and responsibilities.
They have the authority to take acknowledgements, similar to notaries public. They can be asked to administer an oath to an office holder if the law requires it, and they may have to take depositions through written interrogatories. JPs can charge fees for performance of such duties, subject to maximum limits as specified under the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Getting back to the weddings, a JP may ask for and accept a maximum of $100 as a fee for officiating over a marriage within his or her municipal limits. For ceremonies outside their hometown, they are allowed to charge $150. This does not cover add-on fees for rehearsals, prenuptial counseling sessions and other special arrangements required by a couple for their ceremony.
JPs normally travel on their own to the place where the ceremony is to be conducted. There is no requirement that any specific words have to be used to solemnize marriages. Both parties to the wedding must clearly state they accept the other as a spouse, and the JP then announces the marriage to be legal in his or her capacity as authorized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
There are certain delicate aspects that need to be touched on here. For instance, JPs are not allowed to advertise their availability for marriages. Unlike other service providers, they cannot place advertisements in newspapers, magazines and other publications. However, finding a JP is not hard because the official database maintained by the Secretary of State's Office can be searched online to get hold of a list of JPs in a specific town, city or region.
Another prickly issue for JPs is that the law forbids them from refusing to solemnize marriages, unless it is the law itself that stops the couple from getting married. Many couples also make the mistake of expecting the Massachusetts Justice of the Peace to provide the marriage license. This only works if the clerk at the city or town hall is also the JP. Even if this is true, there will be a mandatory three-day waiting period before the clerk can issue the marriage license.
About the Author:
We have the latest news about Massachusetts justice of the peace on this web page www.josephgagnon.com. Read the full story today by clicking on the related link http://www.josephgagnon.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment