Are common law marriages legal?

In Florida, common law marriages are not legally recognized. This means that couples who live together and consider themselves married, even after living together for many years, do not have the same legal rights as a couple legally married under Florida marriage laws. Common law marriage is also known as an “informal marriage” and has different requirements in other states across the United States. Generally, a common law marriage requires couples living together to meet three criteria; they must agree to the marriage, live together and represent themselves to the public as a married couple. In other states, a common law marriage may be granted after meeting the criteria for a certain period of time. However, this is not the case in Florida. The state of Florida does not recognize common law marriages. If couples living together in Florida wish to obtain the same legal rights as a married couple, they must officially marry and register their marriage in the state. To officiate a marriage in the state of Florida, couples must obtain a marriage license from a county clerk of court, then have a marriage ceremony that meets the legal requirements of the state. The state of Florida also requires that both parties to the marriage are not more closely related than second cousins. Couples must also be of legal age to marry in the state of Florida.

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Are common law marriages legal?

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