Common Law Marriage and Couple Formation

Shoshana Grossbard and Victoria Vernon ()

No 8480, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: The Current Population Survey is used to investigate effects of Common Law Marriage (CLM) on whether young US-born adults live in couples in the U.S. CLM effects are identified through cross-state and time variation, as some states abolished CLM over the period examined. Analysis based on Gary Becker's marriage economics helps explain why CLM affects couple formation and does so differently depending on education, sex ratios and parent status. CLM reduces in-couple residence, and more so for childless whites and where there are fewer men per woman. Effects are larger for college-educated men and women without college.

Keywords: Common-Law Marriage; couple; couple formation; marriage; cohabitation; Gary Becker (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J10 J12 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 26 pages
Date: 2014-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-law
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published - published in: IZA Journal of Labor Economics, 2014, 3:16

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Journal Article: Common law marriage and couple formation (2014)
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