Common Law Marriage
Colorado is one of a few states that fully recognizes common law marriages. Common law marriages are legal and binding, even without any license or documentation.
In Colorado, to be common law married, you must:
- Live together (contrary to common knowledge, there is no time requirement); and,
- Hold yourselves out to be married
- Refer to your partner as your spouse and both agree that you are a married couple
- Maintain joint ownership of property
- Maintain joint bank account(s)
- Filing of joint income tax returns
- Mutual financial support
- Registration as spouses on applications, contracts, leases
- Use of a shared last name
The Peak Legal team can also help in case you wish to terminate your common law marriage. Because Colorado does not have a common law dissolution statute, the process of filing to end a common law marriage is the same as filing to end a documented marriage.
The same issues of division of assets and property, child custody and decision making, and spousal maintenance will arise as in a divorce following a ceremonial marriage. You need a legal team that will be with you through the difficult and sometimes overwhelming process of dissolving your common law marriage.
Call Peak Legal now for support with your common law or same-sex marriage at (720) 445-9779.
