Title 93, Domestic Relations

Any minister of the gospel ordained according to the rules of his church or society, in good standing; any Rabbi or other spiritual leader of any other religious body authorized under the rules of such religious body to solemnize rites of matrimony and being in good standing; any…

Any marriages performed by a mayor of a municipality prior to March 14, 1994 are validated unless they have been invalidated by a court of competent jurisdiction, provided that all other requirements of law have been met and the marriages would have been valid if performed by an …

It shall be lawful for a pastor of any religious society in this state to join together in marriage such persons of the society to whom a marriage license has been issued, according to the rules and customs established by the society. The clerk or keeper of the minutes, proceedin…

The clerk of the circuit court in each county shall be the legal custodian of the records and papers relating to marriage licenses and certificates of marriage formerly kept by the clerk of the probate court of each county.

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to solicit or cause to be solicited within any courthouse, premises or grounds or lots on which the courthouse may be located in any county within the State of Mississippi, for himself or for and on behalf of any minister or other person, t…

Any attempt to evade Section 93-1-1 by marrying out of this state and returning to it shall be within the prohibitions of said section.

(1) Every male who is at least seventeen (17) years old and every female who is at least fifteen (15) years old shall be capable in law of contracting marriage. However, males and females under the age of twenty-one (21) years must furnish the circuit clerk satisfactory evidence …

The failure to comply with the provisions of Sections 93-1-5 and 93-1-7 shall not affect the validity of any marriage duly solemnized, followed by cohabitation.

Married women are fully emancipated from all disability on account of coverture; and the common law as to the disabilities of married women and its effect on the rights of property of the wife, is totally abrogated, and marriage shall not impose any disability or incapacity on a …

If the husband receive and appropriate to his own use the property of his wife, or the income and profit of her property, he shall be debtor to his wife therefor; but neither he nor his representatives shall be accountable to his wife for the income or profits of her estate, afte…

Husband and wife may sue each other.

Dower and curtesy, as heretofore known, are abolished.

Husband and wife shall not contract with each other, so as to entitle the one to claim or receive any compensation from the other for work and labor, and any contract between them whereby one shall claim or shall receive compensation from the other for services rendered, shall be…

A transfer or conveyance of goods and chattels, or lands, or any lease of lands, between husband and wife, shall not be valid as against any third person, unless the transfer or conveyance be in writing and acknowledged and filed for record as a mortgage or deed of trust is requi…

Divorces from the bonds of matrimony may be decreed to the injured party for any one or more of the following twelve (12) causes: First. Natural impotency. Second. Adultery, unless it should appear that it was committed by collusion of the parties for the purpose of procuring a d…

All complaints, except those based solely on the ground of irreconcilable differences, must be filed in the county in which the plaintiff resides, if the defendant be a nonresident of this state, or be absent, so that process cannot be served; and the manner of making such partie…

If the defendant is an infant or a person with mental illness, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem for the defendant.

From and after March 15, 1934, any marital contract previously or hereafter solemnized by and under which parties have been duly and legally married, and one (1) of the parties to the marriage contract has become or becomes mentally ill to such an extent that it is necessary for …

(1) The proceedings to obtain a divorce shall not be heard or considered nor a judgment of divorce entered except in open court. A chancellor may, in his discretion, hear or consider proceedings to obtain a divorce in vacation and make and enter judgments of divorce in the same m…

In the trial of suits for divorce, witnesses may be summoned, and examined in open court, as in the trial of issues of fact in the circuit court, or depositions may be taken and read as in other cases and the parties shall be competent witnesses for or against each other.

(1) Divorce from the bonds of matrimony may be granted on the ground of irreconcilable differences, but only upon the joint complaint of the husband and wife or a complaint where the defendant has been personally served with process or where the defendant has entered an appearanc…

The court may, in its discretion, exclude all persons from the court room during the trial except the officers of the court, attorneys engaged in the case, parties to the suit and the witness being examined.

When a divorce shall be decreed from the bonds of matrimony, the court may, in its discretion, having regard to the circumstances of the parties and the nature of the case, as may seem equitable and just, make all orders touching the care, custody and maintenance of the children …

(1) Custody shall be awarded as follows according to the best interests of the child:(a) Physical and legal custody to both parents jointly pursuant to subsections (2) through (7).(b) Physical custody to both parents jointly pursuant to subsections (2) through (7) and legal custo…

The judgment of divorce shall not render illegitimate the children begotten between the parties during lawful marriage; but if the judgment be rendered because one (1) of the parties was married to another at the time of the marriage or pretended marriage between the parties, it …

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, except those provisions protecting the confidentiality of adoption records and except for cases in which parental rights have been legally terminated, access to records and information pertaining to a minor child, including but not lim…

In all cases of divorce from the bonds of matrimony, the marital rights shall cease with the judgment.

If any person who shall be divorced on account of their being within the degrees prohibited by law, shall afterwards cohabit, they shall be liable to the pains and penalties provided by law against incest. If any persons who shall be divorced on account of a prior marriage, adult…

If a complainant or cross-complainant in a divorce action shall prove grounds entitling him to a divorce, it shall not be mandatory on any chancellor to deny such party a divorce, even though the evidence might establish recrimination on the part of such complainant or cross-comp…

The judgment of divorce from the bonds of matrimony may be revoked at any time by the court which granted it, under such regulations and restrictions as it may deem proper to impose, upon the joint application of the parties, and upon the production of satisfactory evidence of th…

All complaints for divorce shall name the parties to the suit, when married, and the number and names of the living minor children born of the marriage. It shall be the duty of each chancery clerk in the state to make a report of each divorce granted in his county; and on forms f…

(1) It is the purpose of this section to provide a means by which to facilitate a fair, efficient and swift process to resolve matters regarding custody and visitation when a parent receives temporary duty, deployment or mobilization orders from the military. It is also the purpo…

It shall be no impediment to a divorce that the offended spouse did not leave the marital domicile or separate from the offending spouse on account of the conduct of the offending spouse.

(a) The jurisdiction of the chancery court in suits for divorce shall be confined to the following cases:(a) Where one (1) of the parties has been an actual bona fide resident within this state for six (6) months next preceding the commencement of the suit. If a member of the arm…

The proceedings to obtain a divorce shall be by complaint in chancery, and shall be conducted as other suits in chancery, except that (1) the defendant shall not be required to answer on oath; (2) no judgment by default may be granted but a divorce may be granted on the ground of…

A married minor may bring or defend a suit for divorce, separate maintenance and support, temporary maintenance or support, custody of children, or any other action involving marital rights without the necessity of a next friend or guardian ad litem, and a judgment in such cases …

All bigamous or incestuous marriages are void, and a declaration of nullity may be obtained at the suit of either party.

The chancery courts of the State of Mississippi shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine all suits for annulment and all suits for annulment shall be tried in term time or vacation, and the same rules of pleading and procedure shall apply as in divorce cases, and the laws of…

It shall be the duty of the chancery clerk to make a report of each annulment granted in his county to the state board of health on forms furnished by the state board of health in the same manner as now required by law for reporting divorces.

(a) A marriage may be annulled for any one (1) of the following causes existing at the time of the marriage ceremony:(a) Incurable impotency.(b) Adjudicated mental illness or incompetence of either or both parties. Action of a spouse who has been adjudicated mentally ill or incom…

Except for incestuous marriages, the issue of the parties to a void marriage conceived subsequent to the date thereof is legitimate, whether the marriage be declared void because of a prior existing marriage, or is annulled for some other cause.

When an annulment shall be adjudged or a marriage declared void, the chancery court may, in its discretion, having regard to the circumstances of the parties and the nature of the case, as may seem equitable and just, make all orders touching the care, custody, and maintenance of…

The complaint for annulment shall be filed in the county where the defendant resides, or in the county where the marriage license was issued, or in the county where the plaintiff resides, if the defendant be a nonresident of this state.

Sections 93-9-1 through 93-9-49 may be cited as the “Mississippi Uniform Law on Paternity.”

(1) This section establishes circumstances under which a legal father may disestablish paternity and terminate a child support obligation when the legal father is not the biological father of the child. To disestablish paternity and terminate a child support obligation, the legal…

The father’s liabilities for past education and necessary support and maintenance and other expenses are limited to a period of one (1) year next preceding the commencement of an action.