How does one enter into a civil marriage in Massachusetts?
Civil marriage is an institution created by the State. The legal authority to enter into a civil marriage in Massachusetts is granted exclusively by statute, Chapter 207. The marriage statutes are derived from English common law and were first enacted in colonial times. In contrast, in other places like Canada, there exists a right to marry outside of the statutory authority. That legal right is granted under the “common law” and it is called common law marriage. Common law marriage, however, has never been allowed in Massachusetts.
