Marriage certificate civil unions (generally same sex or sex independent) to be registered, however these are not regarded as marriages, as the Marriage Act of 1961 does not currently recognise them. Associated certificates such as the DFAT "Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage" (CNI) or state and territory "Single Status Certificates" are also available. Proof of divorce certificates are issued by the Family Court of Australia (or the Family Court of Western Australia for residents of that state). On 1 July 1837 civil registration was introduced in England and Wales, providing a central record of all births, deaths and marriages. A Registrar
Spinster old maid? How dare you, then, pervert the most sacred institution of the Almighty, by becoming the wife of a man for whom you can feel no emotions of love, or respect even?" In the lexicon of English, the word mistress is similar to 'spinster', in that it also has no exact male counterpart. The "Oxford American English Dictionary" defines spinster as "an unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage". It adds: "In modern everyday English, however, spinster cannot be used to mean simply ‘unmarried woman’; as such, it is a derogatory term, referring or