I felt a moral obligation to reproduce, really everyone

Gonna be slim pickins for men in the future scoring a live in GF. Forcing a lot of men to go against their better judgement, again, just so she stays around. And live in GF's are pushing HARD now for a ring and a piece of paper, or they're taking a hike. Gone is the chance they can claim common law and score without a marriage license.

And you saw men play the common law thing all the time. She thinks she's a common law wife. Ask around, guy always said he was single, called her his GF, NEVER joined any finances, insurance, whatever. And women think if they live together for x years, she's common law, and that's it. It never was, but it worked out well for men to keep women around without exposing half their ####. Notsomuch anymore.

Tiggity®

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I've known lots.

May 3, 2021, 11:35 AM

Most states don't recognize it. SC did until like 2 years ago. But for every CLAIM of common law, I've known probably 5 who were not. And when I say are or are not, that's a court deciding that, not me.

Just met a guy who was married last year. Lived with his wife for 18+ years, ostensibly as common law. He was fine with the arrangement. When SC stopped recognizing common law she told him he could marry her, or she was leaving. They got married.

Know another woman who was common law married. Claimed to be. Lived with the guy almost 10 years. He died. She didn't get squat. That case went to the Supreme Court in SC. It was horrible because she was left literally broke and destitute. But he was careful in what he did and didn't do. His momma got all the death benefits.

Met another common law couple. Both had college degrees, good jobs, they owned a house together, cars together, called themselves husband and wife, shared insurance, property, financial accounts. She was in his will. Yada yada. They were legit common law.

Fact is, traditionally, common law marriages favored the rich and wealthy, and was very difficult to prove among the poor. ASSETS are one key to sealing a common law marriage, and as such, poor people who didn't have a 401K, health insurance, checking and saving accounts, or own a house, etc., those poorer people had a very hard time proving common law over wealthier people. It got to the point where you had to ask around and see how they presented themselves to others, and that's about all you had to go on with poorer people. Rich people, it was much harder to deny a common law marriage existed if she's on your life insurance, in your will, you share a mortgage or own a house/home together, checking accounts, credit cards, etc.

It needed to go, but a lot of women only stayed with men because they thought they could claim being a wife, and men loved stringing them along thinking that. A lot of gauntlets have been laid in SC in the past two years by live in girlfriends who feel vulnerable now. And men are having to get married or find a new girlfriend, knowing few will stay long in the future.