{"id":351887,"date":"2016-04-04T11:02:38","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T16:02:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/family\/marriage\/checklist-documents-that-establish-a-common-law-marriage.html"},"modified":"2023-07-14T16:01:19","modified_gmt":"2023-07-14T21:01:19","slug":"checklist-documents-that-establish-a-common-law-marriage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/family\/marriage\/checklist-documents-that-establish-a-common-law-marriage.html","title":{"rendered":"Documents That Establish A Common Law Marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Documents That Establish A Common Law Marriage<\/h1>\n
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\n By Hanan Zaki, J.D., LL.M.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Rhonda Earhart, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Common-law marriage is an informal marriage, without a marriage license or certificate. Common law couples can use other documents, like an affidavit or property deed to prove their relationship. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n

The concept of common-law marriage<\/a> has existed since the United States began. Common-law marriage is fully recognized in seven states and the District of Columbia<\/a>. States have slowly stopped using common-law marriage, some as early as 1646 (Massachusetts) and others as recently as 2019 (South Carolina).
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The foundation of a common-law marriage is:<\/p>\r\n