Legal Question in Family Law in North Carolina

In North Carolina, if a person enters into a marriage while married to another person, it is called bigamy and is also most likely a crime. The second marriage will also typically be automatically void ab initio - meaning there never was a second marriage. There are some scenarios where this will not be the case. For instance, in the circumstances that you describe, where your husband has no idea where his first wife is, it is possible that your husbands first wife died without his knowledge prior to your marriage. In which case, your marriage may be valid. Most likely however, your husbands first wife is not dead and your marriage is most likely void. If your marriage is void due to bigmay, you are ineligible for a divorce however you may want to consider going through the formal process of an annulment.