Common Law Marriage
In a small number of states when there is a relationship between a man and a woman, it is possible to create a marriage without obtaining a license or going through a formal ceremony with a religious official or a judge. This is referred to as “common law marriage.” It should be noted that common law marriage is not created when two people simply live together for a number of years. In order to have a valid common law marriage, the couple must meet specific statutory requirements in the few states that actually still recognize common law marriage. Common law marriage is recognized under certain limited circumstances in the following states:
* Alabama
* Colorado
* District of Columbia
* Georgia (if created before January 1, 1997)
* Idaho (if created before January 1, 1996)
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Montana
* New Hampshire (for inheritance purposes only)
* Ohio (if created before October 10, 1991)
* Oklahoma
* Pennsylvania (if created before January 1, 2005)
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* Texas
* Utah
The State of New York does not recognize common law marriage. However, if you have created a common-law-marriage in any one of the above-referenced states and your marriage is recognized in that state, New York will give full faith and credit to the fact that a sister state has recognized your common-law-marriage and it also will recognize your common-law-marriage.
Contact Us For A Free Consultation
Contact Us for a free consultation to discuss your case and our qualifications to represent you. Feel free to call toll free any time, day or night, at 1-800-344-6431, or in Queens, Kings, Richmond and the Bronx at 718-350-2802. You can also reach us in Nassau or Suffolk County at 516-561-6645. We welcome your inquires.
The Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo has offices in Lynbrook, Queens, and Suffolk County, and we represent individuals throughout the New York metropolitan area, including Long Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County; and NYC’s five boroughs of The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, NY.
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