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R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-1-5

Bigamous marriages void — Marriage of persons who are mentally incompetent

Applied in 2 court decisions — leading case Cavanagh v. Cavanagh (1986)

Most recently applied in Medina v. Medina (February 2006)

G.L. 1896, ch. 191, § 5; G.L. 1909, ch. 243, § 5; G.L. 1923, ch. 287, § 5; P.L. 1927, ch. 1066, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 415, § 5; G.L. 1956, § 15-1-5; P.L. 1999, ch. 83, § 19; P.L. …

A person is prohibited from marrying if such person is:

(1) A party to another marriage; or

(2) A party to a relationship that provides substantially the same rights, benefits and responsibilities as a marriage whether entered into in this state or another state or jurisdiction and such marriage or relationship has not been finally dissolved, unless the parties to the intended marriage will be the same as the parties to such other marriage or relationship. Any marriage entered in violation of this prohibition and any marriage where either of the parties is mentally incompetent at the time of the marriage, shall be absolutely void, and no life estate created by chapter 25 of title 33 shall be assigned to any surviving spouse in consequence of the marriage.

Official source: Rhode Island General Assembly. Reproduced from public-domain Rhode Island statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.