Many people believe that living together long enough creates a “common-law marriage.” In Washington, that’s not the case — the state doesn’t recognize common-law marriage at all. But that doesn’t mean unmarried partners have no rights when a long-term relationship ends.
The committed intimate relationship doctrine
Washington protects partners through what’s called a committed intimate relationship (CIR), sometimes still referred to by the older term “meretricious relationship.” When an unmarried couple has lived in a stable, marriage-like relationship and then separates, a court can step in to divide the property they acquired together.
How a court decides a CIR exists
There’s no single checkbox. Instead, the court weighs the relationship as a whole, looking at factors such as:
- How long the couple lived together
- Whether the relationship was continuous
- The purpose of the relationship
- Whether the couple pooled resources and finances
- Whether they held themselves out as a committed couple
No one factor controls, which is why these cases are so fact-specific.
What happens to the property
If the court finds that a CIR existed, it divides the property acquired during the relationship in a just and equitable way — similar to how community property is divided in a divorce. Property that each partner owned before the relationship generally remains that person’s separate property.
An important difference from marriage
The CIR doctrine addresses property division. It does not provide the same access to spousal maintenance that married spouses have, so these cases focus primarily on assets and debts rather than ongoing support.
Because proving — or contesting — a CIR depends so heavily on the specific facts, experienced advocacy matters. Our Spokane CIR attorneys help unmarried partners protect what they built together. Contact Schwab Law or call (509) 795-1894.