A woman and a man who have been living together in the state of Colorado for a very long period of time could be referred to a common law marriage in certain circumstances. The couple refer to their relationship as being married and all of their friends, family members, and co-workers perceive their relationship as such. They even file their income taxes every year using a joint return. Despite sharing the same last name and claiming to be married, these two individuals have never had a marriage ceremony nor have they go through the necessary steps of obtaining a license. Are these two recognized as married according to the law? Do they have the same legal benefits as other married individuals?
In Colorado, the situation that this couple is in is referred to as a common law marriage. According to this law, the state of Colorado would recognize their marriage just as they would any other marriage. This means that the couple would be entitled to all of the same rights and benefits as any other married couple with or without a license.
A common law marriage in the state of Colorado can be defined as a marriage so long as the man and the woman are over the age of eighteen and agree to maintain a marital status. This means that the couple lives together, displays a marital status, and wishes to be recognized as husband and wife.
Couples do not under any circumstances have to obtain a marriage license or participate in a wedding ceremony under the common law marriage. As long as both members of the relationship are at least eighteen and openly admit to being married they will be recognized as a married couple according to the law.
The couple in a common law marriage doesn’t have to live together for a long period of time in order to have a common law marriage. There is no time limit on how long a couple has to have lived together in order to have a common law marriage. As long as the couple agrees that they are married and openly admits to being husband and wife in public even couples who have not lived together for very long can have a common law marriage in the state of Colorado.
