Common-Law Marriage

Common-law marriages may qualify for marriage status under IRS rules, depending on your state’s laws regarding common-law marriages. As with legally married couples, common-law couples must…

The Social Security Administration adheres to state laws regarding common-law marriage. A common-law widow may receive widow's benefits as long as the marriage occurred in a state that recognizes…

A common-law marriage, unlike a normal or "statutory" marriage, does not involve a government or church official issuing a marriage license. Instead, the common law tradition allows an eligible couple…

Unlike divorce, which terminates a valid marriage, annulment is a pronouncement that no valid marriage in fact ever took place. The qualifications for annulment vary by state, but there are several…

You've been living with your significant other for several years. You present yourselves as a married couple but don't know if you have the rights of a married couple. Common law usually means a…