Marrying Your Cousin in Georgia: Is It Legal? It depends on whether the cousin is a first cousin or a more distant cousin in Georgia. When the cousin is a first cousin, marriage between them is allowed.
There are so many different rules in the United States that make it difficult to get cousins married. What does Georgia law say about the marriage of cousins? Check out the following important points to consider.
Georgia’s Marriage Law and Cousins
There is no law against first cousins getting married in the state of Georgia. Title 19 of the Georgia Code, which deals with family relationships, makes it clear that first cousins can get married.
There are no rules that stop first cousins from getting married, which is different from many other states where such unions are illegal or limited.
The prohibition against marriage for people connected by consanguinity or affinity within prohibited degrees of kinship set out by Georgia law is what the law says; yet people who are not first cousins are not prohibited to marry with each other.
Thus, you are not permitted to marry persons of close family relationships with siblings, parents, or grand-parents. Nevertheless, marrying a first cousin is permissible. This means that the state of Georgia would not stop you and your first cousin from getting married.
Comparison with Other States
In order to understand Georgia’s rules on cousin marriage, it will be helpful to know how other parts of the U.S. handle the matter.
First cousins are allowed to get married in the state of Georgia, although rules against the practice vary among the rest of the states.
States that allow first cousin marriage include Georgia, Alabama, California, Colorado, and New York.
Some of the states where first cousin marriage is not allowed are West Virginia, Kentucky, and Texas among others.
Some states do not allow first cousin marriages to take place. An example would be that the cousins ought to be above a certain age or prove that they can’t bear children.
Like other southeastern states, Georgia does not care whether cousins marry or not.
Health Issues
Apart from the formal concerns, one of the significant concerns associated with cousin marriages is the health issues that may arise for the children.
A child from a marriage between first cousins is a little more likely to have a genetic problem because first cousins share about 12.5% of their genes.
The chances are slightly higher than when two people are married who are not related, but it’s not by any means significantly higher.
Generally, a 2% to 4% birth risk may occur to the individuals themselves, but to the children of first cousins, it may be around 4% to 6%. This risk may, however vary in each family depending on their genetic history.
If you want to marry a cousin, you might want to have a talk with a DNA counselor about discovering any risks that come with that given your health history.
In some cases, a medical history in the family indicates that more care needs to be taken.
For instance, in Georgia, cousin marriages are possible but people have various views with regards to the issue. In some cultures, people have done cousin marriages for a long time; hence they just accept it.
Social and Cultural Considerations
Others may view it negatively or may not view it at all. Before a decision is made, consideration should be taken not only of the health and legal implications of the marriage but how it may impact friends and family.
There may be families that are more favorable to cousin marriages than others. This especially holds true in areas where they may be more common or widely accepted.
However, it could be strongly opposed due to personal, moral, and cultural aspects. Discussing such issues with the family and friends would become an essential step in a decision-making process.
Conclusion
Bottom line, you are allowed to marry your first cousin in Georgia. In this particular state, there will be no issues in getting married with your first cousins. However, this is not the case in other states as several of them have rules or bans.
Some people may worry about the genetic health risks of marrying a cousin, but these risks are usually low and can be dealt with by getting the right genetic advice.
There are also different social views on cousin marriage, so it is important to think about both your own needs and those of your family when making this choice.
