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. Image Source: Shutterstock 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. Corbis Fact: Here’s where it counts Alabama, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. That means that 34 states don’t recognize it. Shutterstock Myth: You just need to be together Some people think that you just fall into a common law marriage—whether you want to or not. It’s the reason many couples panic when they realize they’ve lived together for a while, but don’t want to be married. Shutterstock Fact: You… Leggi tutto »Facts And Myths About Common Law Marriage