Life is Complicated

A common law marriage is a union that is formed over time between a man and a woman who have lived together as a couple for a certain number of years. It is also called a de facto marriage. Basically, the two people have to cohabitate, meaning that they have lived under the same roof, and they must both consent to the marriage being recognized by law. You have to be of a legal age in order to commit to a common law marriage. You can't just split up whenever you want to and assume you're divorced the same way you were married. A common law marriage can only be ended in the courts, just as with any other marriage. Common law marriage is only recognized in 11 US states and the District of Columbia.

Did You Know : Why People Say "mothers love their sons but raise their daughters"?

Basically this saying means that mothers have a tendency to coddle and favor their boys, while being hard on their daughters. Many experts believe that when this happens it is due to several factors. For one, there have been socialization studies that show that parents are more "permissive" of their opposite sex children, thus the terms daddy's girl and momma's boy. Fear of losing the son to a cold harsh world is also a possible cause. Finally, some mothers also look at their sons as equivalent to their mates, especially in single mother situations. Alternatively, mothers look at their daughters are just like themselves, and see the challenges they have before them as a woman, so instead they will try to teach them to be strong and independent. This was documented in an interesting report written by James M. Telesford (view the entire report here: http://ugrj.ucr.edu/journal/volume2/JamesTelesford.pdf )

Did You Know : You could end up being obligated to pay child support even if you find out years later that the child isn't yours?

There have been numerous stories of fathers who discovered years later that a child was not biologically theirs, even after they have been supporting the child for all of those years. In some cases, a judge can order a man to pay child support for a child he's been supporting for many years, even if it's determined later that the child is not his, especially if his name is on the birth certificate. The judgments will vary across states, but as unfair as this sounds, unfortunately it is possible. That's why it's best to get a DNA test early on in a child's life if you suspect that he or she may not be yours.