How can I find out if someone was previously married?

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
How can I find out if someone was previously married in Switzerland? Who, if anybody, can I contact who will be able to give me this information? Is there a marriage registry that I can access online? Thanks

2
I'd imagine it would make a difference if:

a) the person is still alive to ask this question

b) it was more than 50 years ago

c) it was public knowledge or something swept under the carpet.

You've got me curious..

3
Curiosity killed the kat. Can you just give me an answer of where I can go to get this information? Please.

4
Why don't you just ask them?

And welcome to the forum.

5
Most probably kantonal dependent.

Speak to the relevant marriage licence office of the respective kanton. B

6
I suggest if you don't want that little grey blob of yours to turn red and multiply, you should perhaps be a little bit careful with clever answers - just for the first day or two and until you have given us an Intro...

These days the official places are very wary about giving out information about anybody. In the old days one could ring up the Einwohnerkontrolle (Residents' Information Office) of the Heimatgemeinde of a Swiss National (Heimatgemeinde is the Parish to which a Swiss belongs - not necessarily place of birth - the right to live there being passed on from father to child) and be given the information.

These days I believe one needs written permission of the next of kin to be able to find out anything along these lines. Been there, done that, tore up the T-shirt in frustration.

7
Wow.......thats quite some attitude you picked up there? I assume that you are here just to get the answer to this question and then you'll bugger off?

If yes, try google. If no, suggest you rein it in a little if you expect people to help you

8
I admire your diplomacy.

9
sorry....just frustrated with dead ends and inability to reach any services in switzerland to get some answers.

This guy who lived in Switzerland for many years returned to his native country where we were introduced on my visit and got married. After I went back home to London I came to find out that he has/had a family in Switzerland but something happened and he can't return to Switzerland anymore. Why he married me, I don't know. I can't divorce him on speculations and I needed to find out if he was married while in Switzerland or is still married.

Where can I go to find this information - is it possible to get his info for free?

Can someone help me? I meant no disrespect to anyone. Thanks.

10
Wow, thats a tough position......there are lots of people on here who know this stuff in detail, but I THINK that all these records are based either in the community (gemeinde) or in the canton (as Longbyt said below), I don't think that there is a national or federal database.....so if you just suspect that he was married but don't know where, I think that you will struggle to know where to start.

But surely it would have been difficult to marry in the UK if he were already married.....when you registered your marriage, that must have been checked

As far as previous marriage.....sounds like private investigator might be your quickest and least frustrating option

Good luck

11
OK quite complex situation.

Civil status registry is not for public access. Data are provided for a good reason. Your reason (polygamy) is a good one i guess.

Is polygamy allowed in the native country of your partner?

He was probably also registered in the swiss based consulate of his country.

You get a good chance if polygamy is forbidden in his country by:

1) writing to the swiss based embassy/consulate of his country requesting his marital status. Provide a copy of your wedding certificate.

2) ndo you know where his swiss family lives? which city or canton?

I think you can send a registered letter to the Zivilamt with a copy of your marriage certificate requesting information on the marital status of the person.

If you want to sort it out quickly, a visit to switzerland and his family is probably necessary as well as to native country embassy.

12
Theoretically, he must have had to show that he was unmarried at the time he married you. Do you know if he produced any written evidence, or just gave his word?

I doubt if the authorities here are likely to be very helpful, especially if he is not Swiss. I honestly don't know where a list of marriages and divorces is kept here. As I understand it, the info concerning a Swiss always goes to their Heimatgemeinde but for foreigners - perhaps it's the parish they reside in.

If he has an unusual surname, you could try 'looking' for a possible family connection here. I've found people through www.directories.ch

I once spent ages trying to find someone in my husband's family and I guessed that the chap at the office had the information in front of him but wasn't telling. Mind you, I found the guy; he had an unusual surname too and I don't give up easily.

I wish you all the best in your endeavour. You never know your luck.

13
It's called Infostar but it's not accessible to the public. They can give you some information about a person if you have a good reason/suspicion.

It's the Wohngemeide that manages the civil status of foreigners.

14
Hmmm well being married makes you next of kin, right? And you would think that information being recorded concerning marriages is exactly for that reason: to be able to prove that a person is / isn't married when needed.

Good luck!

15

Just a couple of thoughts.

Did he or did he not have Swiss Nationality?

If you think he did; and it sounds as if you are married to him; why don't you suggest to him that you would like to obtain Swiss Nationality. This should get some naswers and open a can of worms.

If he wasn't Swiss and married a Swiss, there is a very good chance that he obtained Swiss Nationality as if non EC it would be very useful to him.

Get a friend to go to the Swiss Embassy in London and pretend they are looking for a lost friend that is Swiss and believed to be in London.

The embassy might be able to help.

16
I am assuming from the information you've put in your profile that you are English or at least based in London? I am not sure where your husband is from but for most countries, at least in the UK where I got married in (and I am not a UK citizen), you require a Certificate of Non-Impediment from your country of origin (usually the Marriage registry in that country) to accompany your marriage licence application before you could be married. During that period before your wedding date, the Registrar has the duty to check out the validity of that certificate. Unless its a really good forge.

I like Caviarchip's suggestion of private investigator. Albeit expensive, its the fastest and least frustrating way to find that information you want.

17
How can you prove that you are unmarried? I understand how you can prove that you are divorced but unmarried?

Just curious because I have seen this before

18
What country did you marry in? If he is a citizen of that country, I would start asking the questions at the embassy there using a copy of his passport. Embassies can gain access to information that is off limits to the rest of us.

If he is, as you said, not allowed back here, there must be a reason. With his passport details you might be able to find out more.

Hope you get to the bottom of this.

19
Certificate of Non Impediment! Its a document in which you declare that you are not already married and that nothing prevents you from entering into your intended marriage.

a.k.a Declaration of Non-Impediment to Marry , Statutory Declaration of Single Status , Affidavit of Intended Marriage , etc.

20
Can anyone suggest a private investigator in Switzerland that's monetarily reasonable?

I reached out to the Infostar but they do not deal with individuals. They put me in touch with lawyer so I'm awaiting responses from them.

We got married in India and I have since come to find out that Indian laws do not support women's rights.

He said he lived in Geneva last prior to that I don't know. He was there for almost 10 years I think.

My next step is to go to all the embassies involved....Swiss, Indian...and find out if they can find/give me any information.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who's posted and responded so quickly to my request. I am humbled by your kindness.