KENTUCKY ( FOX 56 ) — Thinking of marriage often leads to pictures of weddings and parties but in some states, simply living together and telling people you are married can be enough.
Common-law marriages are non-ceremonial marriages only recognized in a handful of states. These marriages usually come with all of the benefits of a more traditional marriage and even require official divorce paperwork to be filed to end the partnership.
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Couples cannot achieve common-law marriages in Kentucky, no matter how long or how many people they tell. Kentucky law only recognizes official marriages with marriage licenses.
There are only eight states in the U.S. that recognize common-law marriages as legal, which are Kansas, Iowa, New Hampshire, Colorado, Montana, Texas, Utah, and the District of Columbia.