Justice of the Peace

Newsletter

SUMMER 2011

You can read the newsletter on the Web.

PLEASE JOIN US at the JP Conference
WHEN: Friday, October 28th, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Capitol Building, 210 Capitol Ave., Hartford, Connecticut, Room 310

The largest state to do so and a close neighbor to the New England states that preceded it, the New York legislature granted marriage equality to gay couples in late June. Made possible by a last-minute turnaround by four Republican senators and the outspoken support of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the law took effect Sunday, July 24. New York is the sixth state to legalize marriage for gays and lesbians, joining Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia.

     Passage of the legislation is expected to spawn a cottage industry around same-sex marriage in the state, yielding an additional $210 million for NY businesses over the first three years. The 2010 U.S. Census counted 65,303 same-sex couples in NY. UCLA's Williams Institute estimates that approximately 13,700 of those couples were already married elsewhere.

     Who Can Officiate. New York State long ago abolished the role of Justice of the Peace as we know it in New England. Today eligible marriage officiants include all court justices as well as mayors, city clerks and clergy.

      How much of an impact do you expect the New York law to have on your wedding business?

In many states where Justices of the Peace are court officers, marriage is only a sideline to their main business responsibilities, if it is allowed at all.  In Arizona, members of the clergy and judges -- and JPs, but not during working hours -- are authorized to perform marriage ceremonies. "Justice court new hotbed for wedding ceremonies," an article on azcentral.com, explains why informal weddings are a rising trend in some jurisdictions.

Did you know that couples in Arizona can opt for a "covenant marriage" rather than a regular marriage? We didn't either!  It appears to be a form of super-marriage whereby the couple pledge to stick it out no matter what.

     Here's what they must put in writing:

     "We solemnly declare that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman who agree to live together as husband and wife for as long as they both live. We have chosen each other carefully and have received premarital counseling on the nature, purposes and responsibilities of marriage. We understand that a covenant marriage is for life. If we experience marital difficulties, we commit ourselves to take all reasonable efforts to preserve our marriage, including marital counseling.

     "With full knowledge of what this commitment means, we do declare that our marriage will be bound by Arizona law on covenant marriages and we promise to love, honor and care for one another as husband and wife for the rest of our lives."

     Ed: Hmm, isn't that what ALL couples promise when they marry?

Betty Allard, Oakdale CT JP, has married more than 2600 couples in her 27 years as a JP. In the early years, it was exciting to do just a few over the course of a year. Last year she did 228 and this year may exceed that total. She can't come to the JP conference because she's got a wedding that afternoon. She's already booked 30 weddings for 2012.
     How did this happen? Certainly recommendations from couples she's married play a big role. Her first ads in the phonebook (before there was an internet) helped. Business picked up in 2005 when her listings first appeared on www.findajp.com, even more when she added her photo (at left) to her listing, and more still when she built her own website.

     Betty's husband Paul is also a JP but really functions as her expert assistant, lining up the wedding party, for example. Many couples choose to get married in the Allards' backyard garden setting, the only limitations being the number of guests (20) and cars (8). The Ohio couple whom she married there on Friday called it "a fairytale oasis," a far cry from the Mohegan Sun next door in Montville, another frequent venue for Betty's weddings.

     Her most amazing trait: she memorizes the entire ceremony and has never forgottten a couple's names.

     Betty's advice to a new JP: "Your voice on the phone reveals your attitude. When couples call, treat them nicely. Answer their questions. Sound like you love your job."

     There's no question that this JP does!

 The e-mailbag contained this interesting tidbit that you may have overlooked: The month of July this year had 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. Very unusual, as this happens only once every 823 years! [CORRECTION: Several JPs pointed out that the last sentence is NOT true; it happens rather frequently. Lesson learned: never trust an unsolicited email. If in doubt, check with Snopes!]

Also, like every one of the first twelve years in the 21st century, four dates in 2011 have an unusual sequence of numbers -- which seems to appeal to couples when choosing their marriage date! (That's our justification for mentioning it here.) The dates this year are 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11 and 11/11/11. (You'll be glad to hear that we won't ask you to "pass this message on in order to come into money.")