Is a defacto relationship after 18 years classed as a marriage?
81986
To be recognized as a legal marriage, the couple must apply for a license and at least register the union in a courthouse office.  In many states, a couple living together for a set period of time (as little as 6 consecutive months) can claim common law marital status.  Common law marriages are a little murky when it comes to legal decisions and such, however.  You are essentially recognized as domestic partners, but either side can walk away from the relationship with few legal responsibilities.
497588
What sort of limitation are you thinking of? Divorce can happen no matter how long since marriage.
213128
Some people call the beginning of a relationship the honeymoon stage which lasts about nine months to a year. I think that yes physical attraction can fade in that time if you let it. There are lots of people I know that are still going strong today. Some after 30,40 or even 50 years. There are lots of ways to keep the physical attraction going. You just have to find what works for the two of you.
465126
When my husband and I started out on our relationship over 17 years ago we did not have a lot of things. We rented an apartment and several houses along the way, have had several vehicles that turned out to not be very reliable, and even had to stay with my parents a few times. We are still together and stronger then ever.We now have a house of our own { for 3 years now} and a reliable truck to get him back and forth to work.  So do I think that a relationship can last? Yes, definitely. As long as you truly love one another and really want it to work then nothing can stand in your way. I hope that I have answered your question and good luck. By the way, I was only 16 when I got married and we have been married for 17 years and together for 2 years before that. We made it and so can you!
191506
i graduated in 1996, and i don't know one highschool sweetheart couple from my class that are still together. i'm thinking slim chances.  the kind of person you want to spend your life with at 18 is totally different when you're 22, much less 28.
1080530
Maybe. Does he intend to just walk away? Too little info here to say anything substantial. 22 years should qualify as a common law marriage (in UK, and 7 states in the US).
850913
If you're happy. You are old enough to make your own desicion. I know a couple where the woman is 10yrs older and they've been together 15 years.
408705
i don't think love should be ever judged by the age of the 2 persons involved in a relationship. most people think age difference is a big factor. however, the deal is if you will get along fine in the long run, if your differences compliment each other in a positive way, and if you try to overcome your differences in a positive way.\n\ni know you're thinking if there's something wrong with getting married at the age 17 or 22, and why people are kinda discouraging you from this.\n\nthe reason is that they're just concerned that you might just be too overwhelmed by the situation. and their concern is for you to try to see the other side of things, or the other possible things that you might still experience as a single person.\n\nmarrying is a big responsibility, regardless of age. some are being too reckless to marry, because there's divorce, so they just go ahead and do it, unprepared internally.\n\ni have read somewhere that there's these 2 teens married at a very young age. but they did it out of pure love. they attended college together, pursued their own degrees, sustaining their family (at the time, they decided not to bear a child, because they're supporting their education on their own). and they did that out of love.\n\nso i guess my say is, if you're really sure enough you really love your partner-in-life-to-be, go ahead and marry. but be sure to face the life of a married person. it's gonna be harder, but then, just bear in mind, that you chose to decide to marry because you love the person. and even if it's gonna be a tougher life, stick to it and do your best to make the married life work.\n\nkey to a good marriage? respect for each other and continuous acceptance and understanding for the other, bearing in mind that there's always room for improvement. =)
20214
If you are refering to being married for 20 years, and you are middle aged (ie you got married around 20 to 25 years of age), nope, that's not a long time.  In fact, that's a farily short amount of time.\n\nThe average long term marriage usualy ends after 30 to 40 years, rare if it ever makes it past 40.\n\nSo, if that's not what your asking, you need to be a bit more specific :)\n\n******Addition*********\nSunflower below brought up a good point, however the connotation states that they don't exactly beleive that it happens; however, the concept of time does change when we get older.  \n\nTime moves much more differently for 20 year olds than it does for 40 year olds, at least in regards to perception.  For most people of advanced age, time is of course a constant, however it can drag on without end.  Defining who we are based on acheivements or milestones, isn't eactly how one can properly percieve time.  \n\nWhat we do with our lives, and what we do with our time in regards to ourselves, dictactes how we can properly percieve time.\n\n**********End Addition************\n**********Information based on additions by asker******\n\nAs your question has nothing to do with marriage, and middle aged means betweeen 35 and 45, i would surmies that 20 years is indeed a long stretch of time for such a person.  However, if you really consider what your asking, 35 years - 20 is 15 years old; the perception of time between a 15 year old and a 35 year old is vast.\n\n45 - 20 is 25 years old; the same holds true that the perception of time for a 25 y ear old person is much different than that of a 45 year old person.\n\n25-15 is simply a 10 year difference.  Because of this, we can surmies that man acheives several distinctions and refinements throughout the ages of 15-20, 25-35, and 35-45 with regards to how time is percieved.\n\nI supose this also has to deal with how we wish to see time.  If we lead a stagnet life, where nothing changes, that time itself isn't seen much different than when the stagnation began to show itself.\n\nHowever, if what we have been doing has drastically changed from age 15-35, then i would surmise that our perception also changes; one, for example, is the perception of time moving fast in highschool, and dragging in college.\n\nThe same premise holds true when you consider the ages of 35-45; if one's life has become stable, and predictable, then the perception of time from 35-45 would only changed when that life became stable, and anything thus after would be constant.\n\nI would also assume, however, that from the ages of 46 to old age, that time is also percieved differently.\n\nIf the routine changes, it is not impossbile that our perception of such a time will change.\n\nDo i blieve that 20 years is a long time for a middle aged man; that depends, is the question in relation to 20 years of monotony, or 20 years of constant change; either way it can be long time if it is taxing on the person.  However, monotony is percieved as a long stretch of time; and challenge or excietment is percieved as a fast movement of time.\n\nSo this really is subjective to the experiences, ect, of the person who is asking the question.
794124
Marraige is what you make of it. Committment from both people is required to make it work. You should be allowed to do anything you want (within reason) once you get married.  Try not to have children until after you are 28, or they will be born ugly.
209407
18 years and going and going and going...dated for 3 and a half years before marriage. Still very happy
454312
You did not say how old you both are, so I can only assume you are both old enough to get married. If true love is what you have then God bless the both of you.
199872
I personally think it depends on how old the child is.  I did live with my boyfriend when my child was 2-3.  We eventually broke up and no harm was done b/c they didn't remember the situation much.  I am now dating someone new 8 years later.  We are even talking of marriage but I refuse to live with him until we are married.  If something does happen and we break up it will definitely send the wrong message to my child.
74592
yes - less then a year - and you could lie and say you never consimated the relationship - if the other party agrees
62333
While I don't know the statistics about this, I can speak from experience. My Dad did the same thing to my Mom. He married the mistress. I now live with them, and well I'll tell you this "Once a cheater, always a cheater." They are on the verge of a divorce as well. The marriage has lasted 5.5 years.\n\nHope that helped!
435729
You have gone 18 years with out it why not wait till you get married and that way your wife will have something she can be real thankful for.
850579
NO. your not officially married until it is signed by a minister/priest/judge ect..