88 ms·

I have trouble understanding why people buckle to social pressure in this day and age. If you aren't Amish or JW risking your entire livelihood and social circl

I have trouble understanding why people buckle to social pressure in this day and age. If you aren't Amish or JW risking your entire livelihood and social circle... is it really that hard to tell you're relatives you just aren't ready to be married?

mirimir 8y ago
In most of the US, if a relationship lasts long enough, it doesn't matter much whether you "get married" or not. As far as the state's concerned, you are legally married.
- pmiller2 8y ago
  What are you referring to? Common law marriage? That’s only valid in 8 states and DC (California is not one of those states, FYI). Edit: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and the District of Columbia are the only US districts where one can enter into a common law marriage today. Such marriages are, of course, recognized by other states, but you won’t end up “accidentally” married by doing nothing in New York, for instance.
  - mirimir 8y ago
    OK, I stand corrected.[0] But then, in California there's "palimony",[1] so it's iffy. I guess the lesson is to research the applicable legal environment. 0) https://www.cadivorce.com/news/common-law-marriage-myths/ https://www.cadivorce.com/news/common-law-marriage-myths/ 1) https://www.cadivorce.com/california-divorce-guide/spousal-support/what-is-a-palimony-or-marvin-claim/ https://www.cadivorce.com/california-divorce-guide/spousal-s...
  - poulsbohemian 8y ago
    Add Washington state to your list. There is case law here whereby if you live together or demonstrate that you are in a domestic partnership, you can be liable for spousal support, using the same guidelines as divorce. And this is without signing any documents or anything “official” to mark the partnership. Edit: in fact, to make this even more messed up - Washington state had a domestic partnership law, then got rid of it. So now there is a giant legal grey area where the courts have basically said “we know it when we see it.”

mirimir 8y ago

In most of the US, if a relationship lasts long enough, it doesn't matter much whether you "get married" or not. As far as the state's concerned, you are legally married.

pmiller2 8y ago
What are you referring to? Common law marriage? That’s only valid in 8 states and DC (California is not one of those states, FYI). Edit: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and the District of Columbia are the only US districts where one can enter into a common law marriage today. Such marriages are, of course, recognized by other states, but you won’t end up “accidentally” married by doing nothing in New York, for instance.
- mirimir 8y ago
  OK, I stand corrected.[0] But then, in California there's "palimony",[1] so it's iffy. I guess the lesson is to research the applicable legal environment. 0) https://www.cadivorce.com/news/common-law-marriage-myths/ https://www.cadivorce.com/news/common-law-marriage-myths/ 1) https://www.cadivorce.com/california-divorce-guide/spousal-support/what-is-a-palimony-or-marvin-claim/ https://www.cadivorce.com/california-divorce-guide/spousal-s...
- poulsbohemian 8y ago
  Add Washington state to your list. There is case law here whereby if you live together or demonstrate that you are in a domestic partnership, you can be liable for spousal support, using the same guidelines as divorce. And this is without signing any documents or anything “official” to mark the partnership. Edit: in fact, to make this even more messed up - Washington state had a domestic partnership law, then got rid of it. So now there is a giant legal grey area where the courts have basically said “we know it when we see it.”