“Well, we were never actually married, but we were basically married. Common law married.” Few words raise more red flags for estate planners and probate attorneys than phrases like this. Marriage is ...

Americans are steadily delaying the age of first marriage. From 1983 to 2023, the median age increased by about five years to 30.2 years for men and 28.4 years for women, according to the U.S. Census.

A. What you’re referring to appears to be a common-law marriage. A common-law marriage is a form of informal marital union that arises when two individuals live together as a married couple without ...

Do you assume common law marriage exists everywhere? At some point growing up I "learned" that any couple who lives together for seven years automatically becomes a common law marriage, and never ...

Does Social Security recognize common law or do you have to be legally married? My potential life partner is currently on disability collecting Social Security in a neighboring state. If the spousal ...

Six years ago Claire Ulrich, chorus girl met Charles E. Whitehurst, Baltimore. Md., theatreman, in Manhattan. They went to a hotel. In their room, without witnesses, they read to each other the ...

Does Social Security recognize common law or do you have to be legally married? My potential life partner is currently on disability collecting Social Security in a neighboring state. If the spousal ...