I met and married a Swiss man back in 2012. Courthouse style. Quickly found out we didnt work well in person as we did online so we separated, meaning we were legally still married but lived separately for about 3 years. I have moved back to the US in 2016 and I have been here ever since. The Swiss man I married long ago is aware of my move back to the states and has zero issues. We simply have not had any interaction, not lived together, nothing since 2012/2013 and again, I have moved back.
It's 2022 now, it has been about 10 years since the separation/not living or seeing each other.
Im getting married in the US, but a person cannot legally be married to two different people at the same time, even abroad. My Question: Am I still legally considered married to the Swiss guy in Switzerland? I have tried to contact him and find him. He seems to be a ghost. I also have no idea if perhaps he filed for a quiet and easy divorce without me or my knowledge since I live abroad! That would be convenient. It has been over 10 years. Is this not considered a divorce? The Swiss guy and I have no interest with each other. Any advice or help? Id really like this dirt in the past to be finally buried.
Thanks and Danke!
Just because you’ve been separated for so long doesn’t mean you’re divorced and I think you know that really. Without a formal divorce approved by the courts you’re still married.
I suggest you read this and then contact the relevant cantonal court to see if any paperwork has been filed with them and also to find out how to proceed if no divorce is on record. Given that you’ve been separated for so long I would guess it should be a simple matter to get a divorce granted.
https://www.ch.ch/en/family-and-partnership/divorce/
Wow this is an interesting situation. Marrying someone and then just leave it hanging like that without ever following it up and removing that complication from your life seems a bit nuts to me, but at least you are addressing it now.
I Googled and it seems that at least from the USA side you can divorce people in absentia but you need to initiate it with an judge https://www.quickie-divorce.com/blog...0your%20spouse .
However seems way easier if you can get hold of him and surely you must be able to find some family or friends of his in Switzerland from the time you knew him? At least I assume you met some family or friends.
It was a minor plot point in The Big Bang Theory (Series 7, "The Thanksgiving Decoupling"), where Penny discovered she was married to Zack.
Did you get married in Switzerland or the US? Where was your marriage registered in Switzerland? Assuming you must have papers from the time you lived in Switzerland you should write to your husband's "place of birth" and ask their office to contact you. Or you could write to where you lived, if this is not the same as where your husband is from, and assuming you were issued a B permit and ask if they can assist you.
I think you need to write rather than call.
Friends or family, as was suggested, could also be an option. What about his (former) employer?
It would seem to me you are still married to him, which in itself, has legal consequences. This definitely needs to be dealt with before you can get married in the US.
We got married in Switzerland. Trying to deal with it and get this behind!
Absolutely and you need to get divorced before remarrying. Contacting the US Embassy in Switzerland might be your starting point if you've exhausted all possible paths to trace your husband.
https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/f...y-country.html
This can get tricky because you are considered married until you are divorced unless you signed an official separation agreement. If there was no agreement, your assets acquired during the marriage could be split in half upon the divorce.