Marriage is a civil contract requiring the consent of parties capable in law of contracting, a marriage license, and solemnization. MCL 551.2. An individual who is 18 years of age or older may contract marriage. MCL 551.103(1). Contrary to MCL 551.1, MCL 551.3, and MCL 551.4, individuals of the same sex may marry. See Obergefell v Hodges, 576 US 644, 675-676 (2015) (holding that the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution requires a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex).
Committee Tip:
Language barriers may play a role in a marriage ceremony, and an interpreter can assist in this situation. If you require appointments for marriage ceremonies, make arrangements for an interpreter or advise the parties to bring an interpreter. Consult your court’s language access plan for more information on how to proceed. See Administrative Order No. 2013-8 (requiring each court to adopt a language access plan by way of local administrative order). See also the One Court of Justice website for a list of certified foreign language interpreters.