Carabetta v. Carabetta
Supreme Court of Connecticut
438 A.2d 109 (1980)
Relevant factsFree
Mr. and Mrs. Carabetta exchanged marriage vows before a priest in 1955 but never obtained a state-required marriage license, then lived together and raised four children while treating themselves as legally married for over two decades. When Mrs. Carabetta (plaintiff) later filed for divorce, the trial court ruled the marriage was void for lack of a license and dismissed the divorce petition for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction; she appealed.
IssueFree
Whether a marriage is void where the couple failed to obtain a statutorily required marriage license, but exchanged vows before an authorized officiant and lived together as a married couple with no indication either considered themselves unmarried.