Common Law Marriage in Colorado

Colorado Law recognizes and treats Common Law Marriage precisely as it does licensed, ceremonial marriages.   However, most people have very little understanding about what creates a Common Law Marriage.  For example, many people ask us ‘”but don’t I have to live with my ’significant other’ for at least seven years before we can have a common law marriage?”  The answer is simply “NO!”  Colorado Law requires no minimum period of cohabitation for creation of a Common Law Marriage.  The requirement for such a marriage really comes down to the intent of the parties and whether they have lived together in the State of Colorado with the necessary intent.  Common Law marriage may affect the rights of “unmarried” couples in many situations, including: dissolution of marriage, parenting rights, child support, alimony or maintenance, estate planning, and distribution of property under a will or similar situation following death.   For more information about how  Common Law Marriage may affect the legal rights and duties of “unmarried” couples in Colorado, call or visit our offices today.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 12:53 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.