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edit approved Dec 10, 2022 at 10:16
Heddy
edit approved Dec 10, 2022 at 10:16
Heddy
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user17760
user17760
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Are there "common-law-marriage" like implications in states without common law marriage?

There are only under 20 states that recognize common-law marriage.

My question is, in the other 30+ states, is there any legal effect caused by "common-law-like conditions"? In other words, if a couple lives in a way that would make them "common-law-married" in one of the 20 C-L-M states, but they live in one of the other 30+ states, which of the following two applies to them:

  • No legal implications at all

or

  • There is "gray area", where there are legal implications even though the two people aren't recognized as being common-law-married in their jurisdiction.

If it's absolutely necessary to narrow this down to be answerable due to being too broad, let's say jurisdiction is NY or NJ, and legal implications are ones that impact separation and attendant property division.