Marriage Law/ Lawyers In Lebanon
Click here for Divorce in Lebanon
1-How to Get Married in Lebanon?
4-What about Civil Marriage In Lebanon?
1-How to Get Married in Lebanon?
Lebanon does not have civil marriage, however the country recognizes civil marriage which took place outside Lebanese territory.
A project of law was suggested at an earlier date proposing a facultative civil marriage to couples interested but the outcome was not positive.
Who is the authority which performs the marriage in Lebanon?
As mentioned, a couple can not get a civil marriage in Lebanon.
However Lebanon recognizes civil marriage held abroad,
In this case the marriage is registered within the competent office of personal statutes or at the Lebanese embassy or consulate in the country where it took place.
Marriages held in Lebanon are performed by religious authority and take place either before Christian or the Muslim competent authorities. (Priest or Sheikh)
2-Mixed Marriage
Due to Lebanon pluralist and multi confessional society, nothing prevents a marriage between Muslims and Christians.
However the married couple should abide to the law of the marriage in all what relates to the marriage present and future effects.
Usually this law is the law of the authority which performed the marriage.
Sometimes this could result in complex issues related to divorce, inheritance, custody etc…
Not only an inter-confessional conflict could occur, but as well a conflict between confessional or spiritual and civil jurisdiction in case a marriage took place before a civil authority abroad and a religious marriage…
children are usually given, by law, the father’s religion.
Mixed marriage are permitted in Lebanon with the following remarks:
-A Sunni or Shia (Muslim) man can marry a Christian or Jewish woman without her having to convert herself, but a Muslim woman cannot marry a Christian or a Jew.
-Catholic men can marry a Muslim woman.
In this case the couple receives the blessing at the sacristy, and the children must be baptized and raised as Catholics .
-Druze community only allows inter-Druze wedding…
The same apply for the Israelite community.
-Orthodox church allows weddings with Muslims under the conversion condition.
Under Muslim law, polygamy is permitted.
However and nowadays it is regarded as being impractical and undesirable due to the additional economic burden and to the complications it brings into the family house.
3-Requirements
Requirements change depending on before which authority the couple wants to get married.
However a copy of the passports or ID and blood tests are required for Muslim marriages.
Christians authorities require passports or IDs, birth and baptism certificates .
In Lebanon, the age of capacity is 18 years for men and 17 for women.
With guardian permission, the ages are 17 for males and 9 for women.
For Shi’a, with judicial permission, 15 for males, and 9 for females.
For Druze, with judicial permission, 16 for males and 15 for females. This can vary due to differences in religion-based laws.
Fees for marriage in Lebanon vary according to the marriage nature and place.
4-What about Civil Marriage In Lebanon?
Several tries to introduce civil marriage in Lebanon’s legal system have existed since the early 1950s, but they have always ended up in vain.
In 1998 a reform bill introduced by then Late President Elias Hrawi was passed by Cabinet only to be voted by Late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Lebanese couples wanting to unite under civil marriage often go to nearby countries to have their civil marriage performed there…
However the simplest and practical way to deal with that matter would be to introduce a facultative civil marriage for the interested couples since Lebanon recognizes the civil marriages abroad so why not the ones held on Lebanese soil!
