A New Role for Notaries (For the Time Being, in Spain only)
The Spanish Ministry of Justice has announced measures to slash waiting lists at Spanish Marriage Registries and Divorce Courts. It will shortly be authorising the Notaries in Spain with powers to create marriages – and to end them!
Create Marriages – In Spain there is apparently no present means for a couple who do not want a Religious ceremony, to get married in their home or a luxury hotel, or indeed anywhere other than a Town Hall or Courtroom. Now it seems that they will be able to arrange for a Notary Public to conduct their marriage in any venue they may prefer.
End Marriages – There is a long waiting list for Divorces, and the new rules in Spain will mean that where there are no children and the parties to a marriage have agreed that they wish to Divorce and have made an agreement as to how their property should be split, the Courts need not be involved at all. The local Notary can now deal with the Divorce, and take some of the workload off the Judges.
Will either of these powers be granted to me in England? I think that the first is more likely than the second – but I am not holding my breath
atkinsonnotarypublic 