Sections
Subchapter 1 General Provisions 650 – 660
Subchapter 2 Restrictions 701
Subchapter 3 Void Marriages and Annulment 751 – 753

Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes > Title 19-A > Part 2 > Chapter 23 - Marriage

  • Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Appeals board: means the State Civil Service Appeals Board. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 7032
  • Appointing authority: means the officer, board, commission, person or group of persons having the power by virtue of the Constitution of Maine, a statute or lawfully delegated authority to make appointments. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 7032
  • Appraisal: A determination of property value.
  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Archery equipment: means a bow or crossbow. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Attorney-at-law: A person who is legally qualified and licensed to practice law, and to represent and act for clients in legal proceedings.
  • Capital improvement: means any work on a road or bridge that has a life expectancy of at least 10 years or restores the load-carrying capacity. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 23 Sec. 1802-A
  • Classified service: means all offices and positions of trust and employment in state service, except those placed in the unclassified service by chapter 71. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 7032
  • Commission: means the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices as defined in Title 1, chapter 25. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Committee: means any committee, subcommittee, joint or select committee of the Legislature or any special committee or commission, by whatever name, established by the Legislature to make recommendations for legislative action or to develop legislation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
  • Compensation: means anything of value that is received or to be received in return for, or in connection with, services rendered or to be rendered. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Covered official: means an official in the executive branch, an official in the legislative branch, a constitutional officer, the Governor and the Governor's cabinet and staff. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Credit report: A detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness. Source: OCC
  • creditor: means any person who makes a refund anticipation loan or who takes assignment of a refund anticipation loan. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 9-A Sec. 10-102
  • Crossbow: means a device for propelling an arrow or bolt by means of traverse limbs and a string, mounted on a stock and having a working mechanical trigger safety device and a minimum draw weight of 100 pounds. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Department: means the Department of Health and Human Services and its agents and authorized representatives. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 101
  • Department: means the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
  • Employee: means any person holding a position subject to appointment by an appointing authority. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 7032
  • Employer: means a person who agrees to reimburse for expenditures or to compensate a person who in return agrees to provide services. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Employment: means an agreement to provide services in exchange for compensation or reimbursement of expenditures. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Expenditure: means anything of value or any contract, promise or agreement to transfer anything of value, whether or not legally enforceable. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Facilitator of a refund anticipation loan or refund anticipation check: means a person who individually or in conjunction or cooperation with another person:
A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 9-A Sec. 10-102
  • Fair Credit Reporting Act: A federal law, established in 1971 and revised in 1997, that gives consumers the right to see their credit records and correct any mistakes. Source: OCC
  • Finance charge: The total cost of credit a customer must pay on a consumer loan, including interest. The Truth in Lending Act requires disclosure of the finance charge. Source: OCC
  • Firearm: means any instrument used in the propulsion of pellets, shot, shells or bullets by action of gunpowder, compressed air or gas exploded or released within it. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Fish: means a cold-blooded, completely aquatic vertebrate characteristically having gills, fins and an elongated streamlined body usually covered with scales and includes any physical part of a fish. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Grassroots lobbying: means to communicate with members of the general public to solicit them to communicate directly with any covered official for the purpose of influencing legislative action, other than legislation that is before the Legislature as a result of a direct initiative in accordance with the Constitution of Maine, Article IV, Part Third, Section 18, when that solicitation is made by:
    • A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • hunt: means to pursue, catch, take, kill or harvest wild animals or wild birds or to attempt to catch, take, kill or harvest wild animals or wild birds. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Immediate family: means a person's spouse or domestic partner and dependent children. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • in writing: include printing and other modes of making legible words. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Inhabitant: means a person having an established residence in a place. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. Source: OCC
  • Interrogatories: Written questions asked by one party of an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath; a discovery device in a lawsuit.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lane miles: means a length of road measured in miles multiplied by the number of travel lanes for that length of road. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 23 Sec. 1802-A
  • Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Legislative action: means the drafting, introduction, consideration, modification, enactment or defeat of any bill, resolution, amendment, report, nomination or other matter by the Legislature, by either the House of Representatives or the Senate, any committee or an official in the Legislative Branch acting in the official's official capacity, or action of the Governor in approving or vetoing any legislative document presented to the Governor for the Governor's approval. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Legislative review session: means the regular session of the Legislature convening after the beginning of the legislative rule acceptance period. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 8071-A
  • Legislative rule acceptance period: means the period beginning on the July 1st preceding the convening of a regular session of the Legislature and ending at 5:00 p. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 8071-A
  • Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
  • Loan broker: means any person who, with respect to the extension of consumer credit by others, provides or offers to provide, in return for the separate payment of money or other valuable consideration, any of the following services:
    (1) Improving a consumer's credit record, history or rating;
    (2) Arranging for or obtaining an extension of credit for a consumer; or
    (3) Providing advice or assistance to a consumer with respect to subparagraph (1) or (2). See Maine Revised Statutes Title 9-A Sec. 10-102
  • Lobbying: includes the time spent to prepare and submit to the Governor, an official in the legislative branch, an official in the executive branch, a constitutional officer or a legislative committee oral and written proposals for, or testimony or analyses concerning, a legislative action. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Lobbying firm: means a partnership, corporation, limited liability company or unincorporated association that employs or contracts with more than one lobbyist or lobbyist associate and that receives or is entitled to receive compensation for engaging in lobbying either directly or through its employees. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Lobbyist: means any person who is specifically employed by another person for the purpose of and who engages in lobbying in excess of 8 hours in any calendar month, or any individual who, as a regular employee of another person, expends an amount of time in excess of 8 hours in any calendar month in lobbying. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Lobbyist associate: means an individual who:
    • A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • major policy-influencing position: means those positions listed in Title 5, chapter 71 and officers or employees of departments and agencies listed in section 959 and in Title 5, chapter 71 who have policy development as a major function of their positions. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • minor child: means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 101
  • Month: means a calendar month. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. Source: OCC
  • Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
  • Municipality: includes cities, towns and plantations, except that "municipality" does not include plantations in Title 10, chapter 110, subchapter IV; or Title 30?A, Part 2. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Muzzle-loading firearm: means a muzzleloader, a traditional muzzleloader or a muzzle-loading shotgun. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Officer: means the State Human Resources Officer. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 7032
  • Original source: means any person who pays $1,000 or more in any lobbying year directly or indirectly to any employer of a lobbyist for purposes of lobbying or grassroots lobbying or to any other person for purposes of grassroots lobbying, except that payments of membership dues to nonprofit corporations formed under Title 13?B, under any equivalent state law or by legislative enactment are not considered payments by an original source. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • Parent: means the legal parent or the legal guardian when no legal parent exists. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 101
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Paved way: means a public road treated with bituminous or concrete material. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Person: means an individual, trust, estate, partnership, association, company, corporation, political subdivision of the State, instrumentality of the State or other entity. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 101
  • Person: means an individual, corporation, proprietorship, joint stock company, business trust, syndicate, association, professional association, labor union, firm, partnership, club or other organization, whether profit or nonprofit, or any municipality or quasi-municipality or group of persons acting in concert, but does not include this State or any other agency of this State. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Person: means a human being or an organization. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
  • Real estate: includes lands and all tenements and hereditaments connected therewith, and all rights thereto and interests therein. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. Source: FDIC
  • Refund anticipation check: means a check, stored value card or other payment mechanism representing the proceeds of the consumer's tax refund that was issued by a depository institution or other person that received a direct deposit of the consumer's tax refund or tax credit and for which the consumer has paid a fee or other consideration. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 9-A Sec. 10-102
  • Refund anticipation loan: means a loan that is secured by or that the creditor arranges to be repaid directly or indirectly from the proceeds of the consumer's income tax refund or tax credits. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 9-A Sec. 10-102
  • Reimbursement: means anything of value received or to be received as repayment for expenditures. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Species of special concern: means a species of fish or wildlife that is not an endangered species or a threatened species but meets criteria for being of special concern as established by the commissioner by rule under section 10105, subsection 19. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • state: means any state, territory or possession of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 101
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Sunrise: means the time computed and established for sunrise for Bangor, Maine, by the Nautical Almanac Office of the United States Naval Observatory, converted to the legal standard of time in force in this State on that day. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Sunset: means the time computed and established for sunset for Bangor, Maine, by the Nautical Almanac Office of the United States Naval Observatory, converted to the legal standard of time in force in this State on that day. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Town: includes cities and plantations, unless otherwise expressed or implied. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Trap: means a device that is designed primarily to catch or hold wild animals, including, but not limited to, a foothold trap, a killer-type trap, a cage-type trap or a snare. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • United States: includes territories and the District of Columbia. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • valid permit: means a license or permit lawfully obtained in the licensee's or permittee's name and signed by that person. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Wild animal: means a species of mammal, wild by nature, whether or not bred or reared in captivity, as distinguished from the common domestic animals, and includes any physical part of that species of animal. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Wild bird: means a species of bird wild by nature, whether or not bred or reared in captivity, as distinguished from common domestic birds, and includes any physical part of that species of bird. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Wildlife: includes wild animals and wild birds. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Wolf: means the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus). See Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 Sec. 10001
  • Year: means a 12-month period starting December 1st and ending the following November 30th. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 3 Sec. 312-A
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72