Late last month the South Carolina Supreme Court took an unusual step in overturning the long standing legal doctrine of Common Law Marriage in South Carolina. The opinion authored by Justice Hearn likened Common Law Marriage to moral paternalism and explained its reasoning for abolishing the doctrine as follows:
“We have concluded the institution’s foundations have eroded with the passage of time, and the outcomes it produces are unpredictable and often convoluted. Accordingly, we believe the time has come to join the overwhelming national trend and abolish it. Therefore, from this date forward—that is, purely prospectively—parties may no longer enter into a valid marriage in South Carolina without a license.
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Our public policy is to promote predictable, just outcomes for all parties involved in these disputes, as well as to emphasize the sanctity of marital union. We can discern no more efficacious way to fulfill these interests than to require those who wish to be married in our State to comply with our statutory requirements. Our quest to see inside the minds of litigants asserting different motivations and levels of knowledge at varying times must yield to the most reliable measurement of marital intent: a valid marriage certificate.”
If you are considering divorce the Attorneys of Templeton Mims & Ward are ready and able to advise you so that you get the best possible results in your case. Contact us today to see how we can help.