“Well, we were never actually married, but we were basically married. Common law married.” Few words raise more red flags for estate planners and probate attorneys than phrases like this. Marriage is ...

Common-law spouses may enjoy benefits similar to those with a marriage license Reviewed by Khadija Khartit A common-law ...

Do you assume common law marriage exists everywhere? At some point growing up I "learned" that any couple who lives together for seven years automatically becomes a common law marriage, and never ...

Did you assume common law marriage existed in every state? I did. I feel like it was one of those bits of information that floated around as simply a given that if you lived with someone for seven ...

Does Social Security recognize common law or do you have to be legally married? My potential life partner is currently on ...

In states that recognize common law marriages, you must meet a few requirements to gain marital status, but even these vary by state. Some of the requirements: You must live together for an amount of ...