{"data":{"id":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-208-44","jurisdiction":"us-ma","citation":"Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 208, § 44","heading":"Certificate of divorce; unlawful issuance","body":"Section 44. Whoever, except in compliance with an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, gives, signs or issues any writing purporting to grant a divorce to persons who are husband and wife according to the laws of the commonwealth, or purporting to be a certificate that a divorce has been granted to such persons, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than three years, or both.","path":["Part II","Title III","Chapter 208"],"source_url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartII/TitleIII/Chapter208/Section44","current_through":"amendments passed before May 31, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-17T05:24:38Z","sha256":"a54313115eb608b7e3f728165414ed2e2a865281d5b3b5f6616fefc82ef539c4","source_id":"us-ma","stale":false,"prev":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-208-43","next":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-208-45"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}