Prohibited marriages between relatives

Prohibited degrees of relationship

In England and Wales, certain blood relatives and relatives through marriage are prohibited from marrying, as outlined by the Marriage Act 1949 and Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Act 1986. Marriage between prohibited relatives will be deemed void, even if they are unaware that they are related.

Here is the list of prohibited relatives:

• A child, including an adopted child
• A parent, including an adoptive parent
• A brother or sister, including a half-brother or half-sister
• A parent’s brother or sister, including a half-brother or half-sister
• A grandparent
• A grandchild
• A brother’s or sister’s, including half-brother’s or half-sister’s, child.

Furthermore, a marriage may also be void if it is between the following:

• A child of a former spouse/civil partner
• A grandchild of a former spouse/civil partner
• Former spouse/civil partner of parent
• Former spouse/civil partner of grandparent

The legal position of first cousin marriage

In England and Wales, it is legal to marry your first cousin, as such marriages are not within the prohibited degrees of relationship. However, in December 2024, Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay, Richard Holden, introduced the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill into Parliament, seeking a ban for first-cousin marriage, leading to renewed debate over the matter

If you are considering or going through a divorce and are concerned about the validity of your marriage in England and Wales, contact Vardags today for a free initial consultation with one of our expert divorce solicitors.

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