Civil divorce vs religious divorce — do I need both?
CAamal_k1 month ago
I want to remarry in my faith community eventually. Is the civil divorce enough or do I need a separate religious one?
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✓ Verified answer from a licensed attorney — shown first
Oakland attorney. Civil and religious divorces are independent processes. The civil divorce ends your legal marriage; whether your faith community recognizes you as divorced is a separate matter governed by that community's rules (a get in Jewish law, a khula or talaq process in Islamic law, an annulment in some Christian traditions). For practical re-marriage purposes you usually want both. A civil-side attorney can't grant the religious side and vice versa. Plan for both tracks in parallel.
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