What is predatory marriage?
A predatory marriage happens when someone marries another person for the purpose of financial or property gain, or to secure UK residency or citizenship. There is often a significant age difference between the two people.
Predatory marriage is not a criminal offence unless the person lacks capacity to consent to marriage. In this case, it is classed as a forced marriage.
However, predatory marriage can be a safeguarding issue. Often, it involves older people who may be experiencing dementia. Someone may take advantage of this condition to groom them or coerce them into marriage.
As marriage invalidates any pre-existing wills, predatory marriage usually enables the widowed spouse to inherit the estate without having to alter any wills. The effects can be devastating for the spouse and/or their family members.
For more information on Predatory Marriage, read Information Sheet 3
The Justice for Joan website also has a wealth of information, along with a case study exploring how predatory marriages can take place, and how they can affect families.
Find Out More About the My Marriage My Choice Research Project
My Marriage My Choice started as a research project led by social work researchers at the University of Nottingham. You can learn more about the project below:
My Marriage My Choice