At Tsai Law Company, we have over 30 years of combined experience in Marital Like Relationships in Washington State.  We can answer your questions regarding common law marriage, community property, asset and debt division, and liabilities.

Washington does not recognize common law marriage.  However, under specific circumstances, if you have been living in a marital like relationship, the Court will divide property acquired during the relationship when specific factors are present.  The Washington Courts have defined a Meretricious Relationship as "a stable, marital-like relationship where both parties cohabit with knowledge that a lawful marriage between them does not exist." Connell v. Francisco, 127 Wash.2d 339, 346 (1995).  The factors the Court looks to include continuous cohabitation, duration of the relationship, purpose of the relationship, pooling of resources and services for joint projects, and the intent of the parties.  The purpose of this legal doctrine is to prevent one party of a relationship to be unjustly enriched at the end of the relationship.  There is no statute that governs over the finding of a Meretricious Relationship as this is a Common Law Doctrine.