Bucks County Clerk of Orphans’ Court Linda Bobrin announced the voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit filed by the Universal Life Church that asserted that Bucks County doesn’t accept marriages performed by those ordained online by the ULC.
On Feb. 16, a lawsuit was filed against the Bucks County Clerk of Orphans’ Court based on the allegation that the clerk would not recognize marriages solemnized by persons ordained through the Universal Life Church. The clerk opposed this lawsuit, saying the clerk and her predecessors have “long accepted and will continue to accept marriages performed by persons ordained via the internet.” According to the clerk’s policy, it’s up to the couple seeking matrimony to determine if their officiant is qualified to perform marriages. If the officiant is acceptable to the couple, then Bucks County will accept the marriage as valid. In the past year, hundreds of marriage licenses have been issued to couples who were married by persons ordained through internet ministries such as the ULC.
On March 15, the ULC filed a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal of the lawsuit. The ULC has accepted the clerk’s statements concerning the validity of ULC-officiated marriages in Bucks County and recognized that Bucks County has no policy or practice of not recognizing marriages performed by persons ordained via the internet, including the ULC.
The clerk said she appreciates that the ULC has voluntarily withdrawn their lawsuit when their misunderstanding concerning the policies of Bucks County in fully recognizing the validity of marriages officiated by the ULC ministers was made clear to them.
