As some MAFS UK couples are clearly not on the same page with each other, fans want to know if the marriages are legalised - and if so, how do they get a divorce?
Following the huge success of the Australian version of the reality TV show, the all-new MAFS UK this year has taken on the same format with the explosive dinner parties and group commitment ceremonies.
With some couples getting ever-closer, others didn’t make it past the first commitment ceremony (Nikita and Ant), which leads us to wondering about the legal side of things.
Are the marriages legally binding on MAFS UK?
No. To all extensive purposes, the contestants on the show do get married, but just not in a legal sense.
Advert
A spokesperson from the show told the Express: “Following the Australian format, rather than legal marriages, the couples will make a lifelong commitment to one another at a glamorous ceremony, overseen by a wedding celebrant, that includes guests, bridal gowns, dancing, speeches and cake.”
However, like MAFS Australia, the marriages are not legally binding. Instead, the couples are asked to make a lifelong commitment to each other.
If the couples decide to go their separate ways after the experiment, they won’t need to get an annulment or a divorce, because they were never legally married in the first place.
So, with it being easier to walk away from the marriage in the UK or Australia, we had a look at how many couples from MAFS are still together.
Are MAFS US contestants legally married?
In the US version of the show, the couples do get legally married. The executive producer of the American version of MAFS, Chris Coelen, told The Wrap back in 2015 that the couples sign a marriage licence after the ceremony is filmed.
What about a prenuptial agreement?
Coelen explained that the contestants are given some protection should the marriage not work out.
Advert
“There is a prenup that is built in,” Coelen said. “It’s a very short, brief prenup. It basically says what they walk in to [the marriage with], is what they walk out of the marriage with.”
“We want to give them some protection walking in,” he explains. “If for some reason it does not work out, at least you are protected with this basic form. You are not going to get yourself in to any legal trouble. Once they are in to the marriage, everything is completely up to them.
Does the show pay for divorces?
Coelen revealed that some money may be put towards legal costs should the couples on the show choose to get divorced.
Advert
“We will contribute within a certain period of time if they get divorced. We will help them cover the costs of an attorney if they choose to do that. I don’t know what the amount is. It’s nominal.”
Featured Image Credit: E4/Married at first SightTopics: Married At First Sight, Married At First Sight Australia, TV And Film, Channel 4