What is the status of a person who married a person who had no right to marry, but later divorced that person?

Answer:

When a person's marriage ends in divorce for some reason other than fornication, or if the marriage ended in divorce because of fornication and that person was the fornicator, then anyone marrying that person is guilty of adultery.

"But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery" (Matthew 5:32).

"And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery" (Matthew 19:9).

"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery" (Luke 16:10).

Notice that the prior marital status of the person marrying the divorced man or woman doesn't matter. Marrying someone who had no right to be married is called adultery. In the Greek, the wording refers to an ongoing condition and not to a one time sin.

When a person leaves an improper marriage, the adultery ends. The person should treat it like all other sins they have committed and ask God for forgiveness. Since the marriage was not valid, the person's right to marriage does not change upon leaving an improper marriage. If they could not marry before because they had committed fornication against a prior spouse or had left a spouse for some reason other than fornication on the spouse's part, then they still cannot marry again. If they could marry because they had never married before, or had ended their marriage because their spouse had committed fornication, then they still can marry again.