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jwirr

(39,215 posts)

16. Years ago Common Law marriage after a certain number of years allowed for legal recognition. We had

Reply to srican69 (Original post)

Tue Jun 18, 2013, 11:13 AM

Jun 2013

friends who were wed that way. I do not know how this effected things like Social Security etc.

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should living together be equal to a marraige? [View all] srican69 Jun 2013 OP

on the other hand it strikes me that would make a lot of couples that do live together uncomfortable el_bryanto Jun 2013 #1

How about making it an opt-in opt-out arrangement, voluntary? NYC_SKP Jun 2013 #5

America at least has that MattBaggins Jun 2013 #33

Yep WovenGems Jun 2013 #2

Common Law marriages are recognized in fewer states than recognize Same-Sex marriages MNBrewer Jun 2013 #4

I agree!! WovenGems Jun 2013 #8

I think it should be the law of the land ..it will provide the benefits of srican69 Jun 2013 #10

It also provides the complications, which many couples seek to avoid. GreenStormCloud Jun 2013 #32

Which is all just make believe MattBaggins Jun 2013 #34

Thanks for the link. SheilaT Jun 2013 #30

Legally, there ARE protections that unwed couples can have. dixiegrrrrl Jun 2013 #31

You need hours of time with a lawyer and 100s on pages of documents MattBaggins Jun 2013 #35

Not true. dixiegrrrrl Jun 2013 #37

Yes true MattBaggins Jun 2013 #41

I see what you did there... dixiegrrrrl Jun 2013 #43

If you only want to be a jerk I'm sorry MattBaggins Jun 2013 #45

I keep on hearing stories of SheilaT Jun 2013 #47

Absolutely so. Nimajneb Nilknarf Jun 2013 #3

but that piece of paper is a legally binding contract. So while marriage is "more than the paper", KittyWampus Jun 2013 #6

+1 JustAnotherGen Jun 2013 #12

and between two participants Puzzledtraveller Jun 2013 #15

Exactly. Legal marriage is a legal contract which both parties enter into. A social or religious uppityperson Jun 2013 #28

Marriage is a contract about property. lumberjack_jeff Jun 2013 #7

Really? dixiegrrrrl Jun 2013 #44

Yes. And did you know that ....... oldhippie Jun 2013 #46

No. bike man Jun 2013 #9

No JustAnotherGen Jun 2013 #11

No Puzzledtraveller Jun 2013 #13

Sure, why not? As long as it applies to same sex people living together as well 1-Old-Man Jun 2013 #14

see edit ...has to be full relationship ... roomies dont count srican69 Jun 2013 #22

Years ago Common Law marriage after a certain number of years allowed for legal recognition. We had jwirr Jun 2013 #16

Common Law marriages like that were far, far less common than most people think. SheilaT Jun 2013 #48

Sure, as long as the government does away with the laws dumbcat Jun 2013 #17

No. HappyMe Jun 2013 #18

Not as simple as it seems.... dixiegrrrrl Jun 2013 #19

2 people live together, love each other, and do not have a sexual relationship? hughee99 Jun 2013 #23

Interestingly, consummation is the key definition of common law marriage. dixiegrrrrl Jun 2013 #26

I think both parties have to explicitly consent to the contract. sibelian Jun 2013 #20

No dlwickham Jun 2013 #21

So if Sex = Marriage, then Cheating = Polygamy One_Life_To_Give Jun 2013 #24

Living together confers the need for divorce before one of parties marries someone else? muriel_volestrangler Jun 2013 #25

It would be a step backwards -- written contracts are a better idea than verbal or common law FarCenter Jun 2013 #27

No it is not .. I am not asking to do away with written contracts - but to put some srican69 Jun 2013 #39

What evidence would you use to establish that a "marriage" began at some point in time? FarCenter Jun 2013 #40

Absolutely not. Sheldon Cooper Jun 2013 #29

No - many widows/widowers would lose benefits if they became defacto "married" IdaBriggs Jun 2013 #36

Ridiculous eissa Jun 2013 #38

Common law marriage has nothing to do with time limits. Manifestor_of_Light Jun 2013 #42