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Polygamous Marriages in Texas


Polygamy is the state of having simultaneous marriages. It means you have more than one spouse. Some religious affiliations practice polygamy. A typical polygamous marriage would consist of one man and several women as his spouses. Though some countries may be lax or may permit polygamous marriages, the United States treats these marriages differently.

Polygamy and the United States

If your religion practices polygamy, you might want to reconsider going about a polygamous marriage in the US. To this day, the US views all polygamous relationships, or marriages, as illegal. Regardless of your reasons for practicing polygamy, the United States chooses to consider these kinds of marriages as illegal. There may be several reasons why the US considers polygamous marriages illegal. Most of which are moral dilemmas that the government sees in a polygamous relationship.  They also go after polygamy because there are other crimes involved in those types of marriages. Some of the crimes that take place in a polygamous marriage would include statutory rape, child abuse, and incest. These are what states go after when going after a polygamous marriage.

What About Texas?

All states in the United States consider polygamy to be illegal. Texas is, of course, included. What does that mean for those people in Texas who are polygamous? You can get arrested if you are found to be practicing polygamy. Even for religious reasons.

Texas has had a history of going after polygamous marriages. This is especially for those taking place in religious sects. To this day, Texas still enforces those laws. There really isn’t much you can do to avoid getting in trouble.

If you’re currently practicing it in the United States, it is best to consult a lawyer. As much as it seems like a violation of your religious freedom, the country still sees it as illegal.

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Mr. Hutton is a Divorce and Custody Lawyer based out of Round Rock, TX. His background is with child psychology at Arizona State University where he received a B.S. in 2006, and he continued this by working with the Children’s Right’s Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law where he received his J.D. in 2009. Throughout his practice, he has been a strong proponent of utilizing modern technology to improve his practice and the representation of his clients. He currently is the technology chair of CAFA of Travis County and is committed to improving and modernizing the practice of law in Texas. If you have any questions you can contact him at timothy.hutton@austintexaslegal.com

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