The romance of a Valentine’s Day wedding likely wore off for one out-of-state bride when she realized that her husband was already married to another woman. Less than a month after the wedding, the second wife is seeking an annulment upon realizing the man she wed is already married to another woman with whom he fathered four children.
The husband in question was even mayor of his out-of-state city. As a result of his second marriage under fraudulent circumstances, this mayor has resigned. The former mayor says of his resignation, “I decided to resign because I have not been true to my wife and I have neglected my family.”
A local report does not offer many details on the nature of this man’s relationship with his children or his first wife. It is unclear if this man was still in contact with them, if he ever filed for a divorce or if he even had intentions of doing so. In Texas, an individual cannot remarry until a divorce is finalized.
For most residents of Texas, the notion that an individual can be married to only person at a time is not difficult to understand. More directly, bigamy, the practice of being married to two people at one time, is illegal in Texas. Yet, there are still instances of this occurring, which does result in legal consequences.
There are a lot of variables that factor into the divorce process: property division, child custody, child visitation and alimony are all issues that need to be worked out. Failing to obtain a legal divorce can impact these issues and result in other consequences as well. Accordingly, it is critical to ensure a divorce is finalized before pursuing another marriage.
Source: Channel 14 News, “Oakland mayor appears to have 2 wives,” Janice Broach, March 7, 2013
- For more information pertaining to legally ending a marriage in Texas, please feel free to look over out Houston Divorce page.
