What is My Legal Relationship Status? - LawDepot Blog

As a single person, you are not legally bound to anyone—unless you have a dependent. You can be considered as single if you have never been married, were ... FamilyPersonal WhatisMyLegalRelationshipStatus? Yourlegalrelationshipstatuscanaffectmanyaspectsofyourlife.Knowingwhatyourstatusmeansinalegalsensecanhelpyoubepreparedfortherightsandresponsibilitiesthatarerelevanttoyourcurrentrelationshipsituation. LawDepot on January29,2020 Therearemanydifferentrelationshipstatusesandeachonecanaffectyourlegalresponsibilitiesinmultipleways.Therightsthatyouhaveintermsofyourpersonalassetscanvarydependingonyourlegalmaritalstatus. Throughassessingyourlegalrelationshipstatus,youcangainabetterunderstandingofyourobligationsanddeterminethedocumentsthatmaybeofusetoyouinacurrentorfuturerelationship. Single Asasingleperson,youarenotlegallyboundtoanyone—unlessyouhaveadependent.Youcanbeconsideredassingleifyouhaveneverbeenmarried,weremarriedbutthendivorced,orhavelostyourspouse.Itispossibletobesingleatmultipletimesinyourlife. Roommates Roommatesaretwoormorepeoplewhoshareashort-termresidentialdwellingandarenotinvolvedinaromanticrelationship.Roommatescancanbesingleorinvolvedinotherrelationshipsthatareindependentfromtheroommatedynamic. LegalRights:Dependingonyourrentalsituation,andtheagreementwithyourlandlordandco-tenants,yourresponsibilitiesandrightsmaydiffer.Thepersonalassetsyouacquirebeforeandduringyourtenancyremainyourown,andyourroommateshavenorightstoyourpersonalincome,possessions,etc. ARoommateAgreementcoversthingssuchasindividualresponsibilities,rentpayments,andthedivisionofanyutilitiesorbills.Theagreementcanprotectyoufromconflictbyprovidingclausesforthingssuchasquiethours,guestallowances,andpersonalpropertylimitations. Thefinancialaspectsofroommateagreements,ifproperlyexecuted,arelegallybinding.Thetermsthatinvolvepersonalnegotiationsaboutspaceornoisearenot.Althoughyoucanincludeavarietyofpersonalpreferencesandnegotiations,youcan’tincludeanytermsthatinfringeonthelegalrightsofanyparties. Cohabitants/LifePartners Cohabitantsaretwopeoplewhoarelivinginthesamehousewiththeintentiontodosolong-term.Itisusually,butnotalways,aromanticrelationship. LegalRights:Yourrightsasacohabitantorlifepartnerwillgenerallybedifferentthanrightsofcoupleswhoaremarriedorwhohaveenteredintoacivilunion.Youmayberequiredtoprovidesupportorshareassetswithyourpartnerintheeventofaseparation.Yourdebts,assets,andpossessionsfrompriortotherelationshipcontinuetobeyourresponsibility.Cohabitantagreementsaresimilartoprenuptialagreements,butforcoupleswhoarenotmarriedanddonotintendtobeinthenearfuture. CohabitationAgreementscoverproperty,possessions,debts,andevensupportandestateissues(shouldtherelationshipend).Theykeepyourfinancesseparateandalsooutlinethefinancialresponsibilitiesofeachparty. CoupleswhodonothaveCohabitationAgreementsdonothaveanyrightstoproperty,spousalsupport,orchildrenintheeventofaseparation.ManyjurisdictionsrecognizeCohabitationAgreementsasenforceablecontractsaslongastheyhavebeensignedbybothparties. Generally,CohabitationAgreementsareconsideredtobeinvalidiftheyincludeillegalorintimateterms. CommonLaw/DeFacto Acommonlawordefactorelationshipconsistsoftwopeopleinaromanticrelationshipwhohavebeenlivingtogetherandmeetthedesignatedlegalrequirementstobeconsideredmarriedundercommonlaw. LegalRights:Yourrightswillvarydependingonyourjurisdictionandthelawssurroundingcommonlawrelationshipswhereyoulive.Insomeplaces,commonlawisverysimilartomarriageinalmostalllegalaspects.Inotherplaces,yourrightsmaybelimited. IntheUnitedStates,commonlawmarriageisonlyvalidinsomestates.However,allofthestatesthatdonotpermitcommonlawmarriagewillrecognizeitifitwascontractedinastatethatallowsit. Somestatesthatpreviouslyrecognizedcommonlawmarriagedonotanylonger.Inthosestates,thecommonlawmarriageisstillrecognizedifitwasenactedpriortoacertaindate. Forexample,inGeorgia,commonlawmarriagewasrecognizedupuntilJanuary1st,1997.Ifyouandyourspousebecameacommonlawcouplepriortothatdate,Georgiawouldstillrecognizeyourlegalrelationshipstatus. Commonlawmarriageisalwaysrecognizedforfederaltaxpurposesifthecouplelivesinastatethatallowsit. ACommonLawAgreementisessentiallythesameasacohabitationagreement,exceptthattohaveaCommonLawAgreement,youmustbeinvolvedinalong-termromanticrelationshipwiththesecondparty. Engaged Anengagementiswhentwopeopleinvolvedinaromanticrelationshipintendtobemarried. LegalRights:Ifyouarealreadylivinginacommonlawordefactorelationship,oryouhaveacohabitationagreement,yourrightswouldnotchange.Ifyouarenotlivingwithyourpartneruntilyouaremarried,yourstatuswouldcontinueassingleuntilyouaremarried.YoumaywanttoconsideraPrenuptialAgreementpriortoyourweddinginordertoprotectyourpersonalassets. Prenuptialagreementsincludetermstodivideassetsanddebts,personalpropertiesandbusinesses,andpersonalinvestmentsandfinances.Thecoupledecideswhatassetswillbesharedandwhatassetswillremainseparate. Prenupscannotincludetermsthatareunfair,illegal,orintimate.Iftheydo,youriskvoidingthecontracteitherinpartorinitsentirety.Ifaprenupisvoided,thestatetypicallybecomesinvolvedanddividesyourassets. IntheUnitedStates,therearetwotypesofdivorcestates(communityandequitabledistribution).IfyouareAmerican,youmaywanttolookintoyourownstate’sdivorcelawstoseehowassetsaredividedupbythecourt. Married Amarriageiswhentwopeopleinvolvedinaromanticrelationshipparticipateinalegalweddingceremony. LegalRights:Therightsoflegallymarriedcouplesdependonthelocationinwhichthecouplewasmarried,andthelocationinwhichtheydivorce.Generally,lawcoversdivisionofproperty,assets,debts,alimony/spousalsupport,andanydecisionsinvolvingchildren. Marriageoffersmanyadvantagesincludingspousalandhealthbenefitsfromemployers,andincomeandpropertytaxperks.Eachpartnerbecomesthenext-of-kintotheotherincaseofanemergencyandwouldreceivebereavementleaveintheeventoftheotherpartner’sdeath.Marriedcouplesareabletofilejointtaxreturns,bankruptcyapplications,andcompletetax-freetransfersofproperties. Otherbenefitsincludetherighttomakemedicaldecisionsforaspouse,therighttoinheritanceofproperty,andspousalprivilegeincourt.Intheeventofadivorce,benefitsincluderightstochildren,childsupport,sharedpropertyandalimony/spousalsupport. Dependingonwhereyoulive,peopleinvolvedinsame-sexmarriagescanreceivethesamelegalrightsandbenefitsasthoseinheterosexualmarriages. Separated Separationiswhentwopeoplewhowerepreviouslymarriedhavedecidedtoendtheirrelationship. LegalRights:Coupleswhohavedecidedtoseparatehavetheoptiontodividetheirassets,properties,anddebtspriortoformalizingtheendoftherelationshipincourt.Todoso,theywoulduseaSeparationAgreement. SeparationAgreementsencouragecouplestodividetheirassets,debts,andresponsibilitiestochildrentogetherinsteadoflettingthecourtdecide. Theyincludetermsregarding: property debt assets business investments inheritances andotherfinancialdivisions Theyalsoincludetermsaboutchildsupportandalimonyaswellascustodyandvisitation. BycreatingaSeparationAgreementbeforetakingyourcasetocourt,youalloweachsidetobetreatedfairlyandtonegotiatethethingsthateachpartywouldliketotakeresponsibilityfor.Sincedifferentstatesdivideassetsanddebtsdifferently,aSeparationAgreementwillhelptoavoidunfairtreatmenttoeitherside. Divorced/Dissolution Adivorceordissolutioniswhenpeoplewhowereoncemarriedorinacivilunionhavecompletedthelegalseparationprocessbyendingtheirrelationshipinacourtoflaw. LegalRights:Afterthedivorceordissolution,yourrelationshipstatusreturnstosingleandyoumaintaintherightsthatyouhadpriortotherelationship,barringanyproperties,assets,anddebtsthatwerenegotiatedduringthedivorceordissolution. IfyouhadaPrenuptialAgreement,youwouldmaintainanyassetsthatyouincludedinthecontractpriortoyourmarriage. Theterm“dissolution”isusedwhencoupleswhowerepartofacivilunionchoosetopartways. SecondMarriage Secondmarriageiswhensomeonewhohaspreviouslybeenmarriedanddivorcedentersintotheirsecondmarriage. LegalRights:Yourlegalrightsinasecondmarriagearealmostalwaysidenticaltoyourrightsduringyourfirstmarriage,unlessyouhaveaPrenuptialAgreement. APrenuptialAgreementisimportantinasecondmarriagebecauseyoumayhaveaccruedassets,debts,andpropertyfromyourpreviousmarriage.Youmightberesponsibleforchildsupportoralimonypaymentsthatyouwouldwanttokeepseparatefromyoursecondpartner’sfinancesorviceversa. Haveanewrelationshipstatus?UpdateyourestateplanningdocumentsGetStarted RelatedPosts3ThingsYouShouldDoBeforeGettingRemarried3ImportantThingstoIncludeinaPrenup24QuestionsEveryEngagedCoupleShouldAsk Relatedposts: 3ThingsYouShouldDoBeforeGettingRemarried 5ThingsYouCan’tIncludeinYourPrenup WeirdHalloweenLaws 24QuestionsEveryEngagedCoupleShouldAsk Postedin: Family,Personal Taggedin: cohabitationagreement,commonlaw,divorceseparation,law,legal,marriage,prenup,relationship,seperationagreement Postedby LawDepot TheLawDepotTeamconsistsofprofessionalwritersandeditorswithyearsofexperienceresearchingandwritingaboutavarietyoflegaltopics.LawDepot’sin-houselegalteamreviewsalllaw-relatedcontenttoensuretheinformationweprovideisasaccurateandup-to-dateaspossible. AllPosts Website OneComment AdministradorGral. April10,2017at11:06pm infactinCanadayounevergobacktoSingleasstatusyouremaindivorceduntilyouremarryagain.Singleisreservedforthosewhowerenevermarriedincanadianlaw Commentsareclosed. Fast.Easy.Legal. 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