Call 24/7: 704.370.2828 Tap Here To Call Us

Articles Tagged with common law divorce

Is Common Law Marriage Legal?

Published on: November 2, 2022 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “How will the judge divide our property?”

Marriage may be less popular today than it was decades ago. Back then, cohabitation was frowned upon and people were not likely to have children outside of marriage. Over the last 40 years, societal norms and conventions have changed and it is perfectly acceptable for couples to live together and even become parents outside of marriage. Many times, couples live together for a period of time before they get married. Other times, couples continue to cohabitate without ever taking marriage vows. While living together without formally getting married may suit a couple, it can make it more difficult if they decide to part ways.

Rhode Island Court Recognizes Common-Law Marriage

Published on: July 5, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “Can I sue someone for breaking up my marriage?”

Many people have heard about common-law marriage, believing incorrectly that if you only live with a person for a certain number of years you can become legally married despite never going through the formal steps. While common-law marriage does exist, it does only under very limited circumstances and only in a small number of states. In fact, these days a variety of legal hurdles have been constructed to ensure that it is very rare for a court to acknowledge the validity of a common-law marriage.