Common Law Marriage vs Ceremonial Marriage

Hmmm, it might depend on the state and whether the state acknowledges it for legal purposes.

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Whether the state acknowledges it determines how you see it?

Unfortunately, PA got rid of common law marriage a few years ago. Emotionally, they deserve the same seriousness. Same thing as religious or cultural ceremonies that aren't legally binding. Obviously the legalities cause other problems...

Coming from someone who has been with the same person for 16 years owns a home and has a child with him we were just as married as some others. We have had people in our lives who knew each other less time and got the Ceremonial marriage and are already divorced.

While we are making it "official" in our state and in the eyes of God we have been married for a long time in my eyes

That's not an accurate description of common-law marriage. Each state has their own laws but a common law marriage is viewed the same as a "ceremonial marriage" in the states that allow it. It is not the same as cohabitation (which is kinda what you are describing).

View Quoted Comment Not on an emotional level, more on a legal level, especially if you have dependents to care for and if something happens to you or your partner. Not to be a downer or negative here, but legalities can cause problems.

I completely agree that marriage or not doesn't necessarily prove your commitment to one another. ive seen many couple's go unmarried who build lives together with kids and a home.

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Do you know why PA got rid of common law marriage?

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I respect this perspective.

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That is not my understanding, can you share an article or something to further my understanding?

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Oh okay, thank you for clarifying.

I'm not sure how to answer this...
If it's common law by cohabitation then no. Sure it's a committed relationship of years but did not involve ANY type of ceremony. They lived together.
If it's common law by undocumented ceremony that's a gray area. In the past there have been reasons why two people could not legally be married but had a full wedding without paper work. To the couple and friends and family they were married. I can understand that for the most part.

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Do you respect those relationships in the same way that you respect marriage? Would you put those relationships on the same level as your marriage?

I don't know how I feel about it, but I do know that few states still recognize it.

View Quoted Comment I hate citing wikipedia usually but this is actually a really good explanation. At the end it says this term is used colloquially sometimes to describe people cohabiting but that confuses it with the actual definition and the legal rights that people in a common law marriage have. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common-law_marriage_in_the_United_States

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Thank you for sharing that there are multiple forms of common law marriage. I was only aware of the form by cohabitation.

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Thank you for sharing.

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Yeah, I don't like to rely on Wikipedia as a resource.

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Based on the quick read I just gave the article some people are referred to as common law married because they have been spouses for so long and living under the same roof and other and then there is common law marriage that is actually recognized by the state where you get legal documentation and have rights.

The one I was referring to in this discussion was cohabitation.

But as many people in this discussion have mentioned, a lot of states are no longer recognizing common law marriage. I wonder why that is. Do you happen to know why?

View Quoted Comment But if you look at their references (which you always should with wiki) youd see they are citing actual laws on the books and court cases...

I mean you brush off what I'm saying but it is a fact that the sidinition of a common law marriage is a marriage that is recognized by the state without a ceremony. Like Trista said above, they are recognized in numerous states