First, let’s quickly touch on what common law marriage is. It has many names, depending on where you live, like a marriage by habit or an informal marriage. No matter what it’s called, it is the concept that you—as a couple—receive many if not all of the same rights as a couple who holds a marriage license, is registered with the city, and held a civil or religious ceremony. As the name marriage by habit implies, a common law marriage naturally occurs when a couple leads a certain lifestyle—like when they have lived under the same roof and been together for X amount of years. In many cases, should this couple split up, they’ll need to follow many of the legal proceedings that a formally married couple does because they’ve earned certain rights over the years. Here are myths and facts about common law marriage.
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Myth: The entire U.S. recognizes it
Many people go through life believing that, should they simply live with their partner for X amount of years (the typical number is seven) that they’ll be in a common law marriage. But, in fact, not all states recognize this type of marriage.
