Can we figure this out?

From two plus two

Private Joker:
18 Sep 2007
This is a story from a good friend of mine who worked for Section Eight, the production company Clooney ran with Steven Soderbergh.

Perennial bachelor Clooney had been living with his girlfriend for 2 years. Very cool chick, evidently, they got along well, but then eventually split up -- and did so on very good terms. Clooney paid for the girl's law school tuition, gave her a new car, and $250,000 just to be nice. Then she moved out.

Then a year later, my friend gets a fax in the office. It's from the girl's attorney. Apparently she filed for a common law marriage with Clooney, since they had been living together long enough. With California's common law marriage statutes, she was due much more cash than the quarter mil he gave her. My friend didn't want to deliver the fax so he gave it to Clooney's assistant, who then waited for GC to come out of his office and handed the fax to him. Clooney read it silently, then slammed his fist into the wall, making a big hole.

Shortly thereafter, Clooney settled out of court with the girl because he didn't want any of this to get into the papers. He grabbed a marker on the office desk, went over to the hole that was still in the wall, and wrote a figure next to it: "7.5 million dollars."

Private Joker:
18 Sep 2007
Yeah probably 04-05. I don't know the chick's name and I'm pretty sure Clooney is nowhere close to gay. All I know is my friend got the fax in the office from the girl's lawyer, Clooney punched the wall, and settled out of court for *something* for 7.5 mil. My friend assumed it had to be common law because he knows they weren't married, but I guess he could have been wrong. I don't know the law at all.

Common Law Marriage is not recognized in the state of California.
Learn what it is and where it's recognized.
Contrary to popular belief, even if two people live together for a certain number of years, if they don't intend to be married and present themselves to others as a married couple, there is no common law marriage. More particularly, a common law marriage can occur only when:
• a heterosexual couple lives together in a state that recognizes common law marriages
• for a significant period of time (not defined in any state)
• holding themselves out as a married couple -- typically this means using the same last name, referring to the other as "my husband" or "my wife" and filing a joint tax return, and
• intending to be married.
Unless all four are true, there is no common law marriage. When a common law marriage exists, the couple must go through a formal divorce to end the relationship.
Which states recognize common law marriage?
Common law marriage is recognized only in the following states:
• Alabama
• Colorado
• District of Columbia
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Montana
• New Hampshire (for inheritance purposes only)
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Utah
Here’s the link if you want to read more: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Thursday, February 8, 2007 · Last updated 9:09 p.m. PT

Unwed couples get new rights in Italy

By FRANCES D'EMILIO
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

ROME -- The Italian Cabinet on Thursday approved proposed legislation granting legal
rights to unmarried couples in both heterosexual and same-sex relationships.

The decision came despite alarm among Christian Democrats in the center-left
government and harsh criticism from the Catholic Church.

Equal Opportunity Minister Barbara Pollastrini said that if Parliament passes the
legislation, unmarried couples who live together can immediately begin to enjoy some
legal protections, such as the same hospital visitation rights as spouses and relatives.

However, Pollastrini said couples would have to live together for at least nine years
before they would be entitled to property rights.