Many couples today are bypassing marriage. Instead they’re moving in together and beginning life as if they’re legally married. They don’t bother to file for a marriage license nor exchange wedding vows. They declare themselves as Mr. and Mrs. and expect others to acknowledge them as married. This living arrangement is called a common law marriage.
In California, common law marriages are unrecognizable. This western state outlawed common law relationships in 1895. So no matter how long you have lived together, in the state of California, your common law relationship isn’t valid within California’s borders. Even if another state recognizes your common law marriage – there are less than 20 states that do – California requires you to be legally married in order to rightfully declare yourself as Mr. and Mrs. Otherwise, you’re just a California couple who’s “shacking up.”
For more information regarding California’s laws on marriage, visit:
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/pages/marriagelicenseinformation.aspx
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