What Constitutes Common Law Marriage
3 mins read

What Constitutes Common Law Marriage

The statistics on married couples in the United States are staggering. Over twenty percent of all married couples in this country will end up divorce, and many of these marriages will be unhappy. However, many people don’t realize that much can go wrong in a marriage. Even though statistics show that most marriages do end in divorce, there are several things that can go wrong before you file for divorce. In fact, many couples can actually fix their problems and stay together.

One of the main problems with married couples is that they spend too much time caring for each other, rather than working towards better careers and living lives. Although this sounds like an obvious observation, most married couples in America spend far more time caring for their spouse than they do themselves. This results in a reduction in intimacy, which leads to feelings of detachment and depression. For some men, this can be one of several typical symptoms of low testosterone.

Another problem that married couples face is that they sometimes disagree about major life decisions such as the division of estate, child custody, visitation rights, or even whether or not to have children. This can lead to a lot of marital problems that can actually result in a divorce. A common problem in married couples is that one spouse feels “put out” by the other and makes repeated demands for changes in the relationship. When this happens, the other spouse may feel that they have no other option but to compromise in order to appease the other. Unfortunately, often times this will lead to even more marital problems. When a couple begins to question their roles in the marriage, it can lead them to make major changes that their marriage once assumed would be permanent.

One of the biggest problems that unmarried couples face is the issue of federal benefits. Federal benefits for married couples are currently banned due to the Defense of Marriage Act. Currently, same-sex couples are not entitled to federal benefits including immigration benefits, Social Security benefits, and those provided through the Affordable Care Act. This means that many same-sex married couples are forced to live on a very low budget when their partners do not receive any of the federal benefits that they are entitled to. Many states also have laws that prevent same-sex couples from receiving the same-sex marriage benefits that their heterosexual counterparts are entitled to.

Many people assume that marriage is something that only happens over the course of a few years. This is certainly not the case for the majority of married couples. The average marriage between a man and woman lasts an average of 22 years. A marriage is much more than simply sharing a bed and making love. Although sharing the bed does contribute to the longevity of a marriage, it is just one of the many components that make up a marriage.

Each state has different definitions of what “being married” means. If you are unsure whether or not your state recognizes a common law marriage, there is a quick and easy way to find out. All you have to do is contact an experienced legal professional who will be able to assist you in determining whether or not your state recognizes a common law marriage.