A MAN so muddled by years of marijuana dependency believed he was married to his former flatmate for nearly a decade - a mistake that threatened to derail his wedding to a new partner.

The man, 38, planned to marry this month but was unable to find the papers to prove to the marriage celebrant he was not still married to his previous partner, which she required because he had listed his marital status as "divorced".

Illustration: Cathy Wilcox

The births, deaths and marriages registry was placed on notice that a marriage might have occurred and the celebrant needed to provide proof of his single status before she could perform the ceremony.

Enter the Family Law Court in Sydney. It heard that the man and his flatmate met through their mothers and lived together for 10 years from 1994. Their relationship was not sexual and was based largely on convenience, mutual support and friendship.