Common Law Marriage

A common law marriage results when two people live together for a period of time, present themselves as married to their community, and are viewed as a married couple by their community. The law will treat the couple as married, even though they did not have a formal marriage ceremony or receive a marriage license. Today only some states recognize common-law marriages. A couple in a common law marriage will receive the same benefits as a married couple, but will also have the same obligations as a married couple, such as shared liability for debts.