Court Opinion

ID: 9608802
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 03:17:51.578282+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:47.646987
License: Public Domain

Weltner, Justice,
concurring.
This court once again encounters the vexatious doctrine of common law marriage. I concur in the judgment, but write to reiterate an earlier suggestion: that the quantum of evidence sufficient to sustain a finding of common law marriage ought to be enlarged.
There should be, in my opinion, but two instances which enlightened policy can recognize as adequate to carry this burden.
This first is — obviously — proof of a ceremonial mar*528riage in substantial accord with the requirements of statute law.
The second is the birth of a child or children to the parties. [Concurring opinion, Johnson v. Green, 251 Ga. 645, 647 (309 SE2d 362) (1983).]
In Ridley v. Grandison, 260 Ga. 6 (389 SE2d 746) (1990), the writer attached to a dissent an appendix that recited:
Following our case of Johnson v. Green, [cit.] our court has been presented with seemingly infinite variations upon the theme of common law marriage. We discuss these here in order to demonstrate the chaos and confusion that pertain, of necessity, when the legal status of marriage — wrapped as it is in emotion, and cloaked in a plethora of property rights — is beclouded by so unruly a doctrine as that of common law marriage. [Id. at 12.]
The appendix outlined 33 such “infinite variations.” Ridley was decided March 9, 1990 — only 18 months ago. Since that time, the appellate courts have dealt with at least 11 additional “variations.”
(1) Homicide resulting from fight when man and woman came to residence of woman’s former male companion, who was with another woman, visiting man’s estranged common law wife. King v. State, 260 Ga. 740 (399 SE2d 198) (1991).
(2) Will contest involving common law widow and children of deceased. England v. Pate, 260 Ga. 481 (398 SE2d 577) (1990).
(3) Defendant convicted of murder alleged common law marriage with witness who testified against him and sought to have her testimony excluded on the basis of the marital privilege. Schirato v. State, 260 Ga. 170 (391 SE2d 116) (1990).
(4) Will contest involving brother of deceased, children of deceased, and common law widow of deceased. McMillan v. McMillan, 260 Ga. XXIX (1990).
(5) Trial court refused to submit to jury issue of whether decedent was survived by common law wife to determine who had standing to bring wrongful death action. Georgia Osteopathic Hosp. v. O’Neal, 198 Ga. App. 770 (403 SE2d 235) (1991).
(6) Administrator of estate contesting probate court finding of common law wife of decedent entitled to inherit from estate. Brown v. Carr, 198 Ga. App. 567 (402 SE2d 296) (1991).
(7) Common law husband sought review of denial of new trial on ground that trial court did not divide furniture between the parties in divorce action. Foster v. Foster, Discretionary Application No. S91D0543, denied February 5, 1991.
*529Decided September 5, 1991.
Brown, Phillips & Scoccimaro, Jimmie H. Brown, for appellant.
Perry, Walters & Lippitt, Jesse W. Walters, Brimberry, Kaplan, Campbell & Donaldson, Jerry W. Brimberry, for appellees.
(8) Property issues concerning divorce sought to terminate an alleged common law marriage. Childs v. Childs, Discretionary Application No. S90D0983, granted May 17, 1990.
(9) Parties underwent ceremonial marriage in 1968 and separated in 1989, but wife alleged that they were divorced in 1977, which husband disputes. The trial court found that a common law marriage existed between 1977 and 1989. Pierce v. Pierce, Discretionary Application No. S90D0866, denied April 25, 1990.
(10) After decree of divorce from common law marriage, former husband sought to re-establish provisions of child custody and visitation of temporary order. Myers v. White, Motion for Supersedeas No. S90M0742, denied March 28, 1990.
(11) This case — in which widow seeks the disqualification of opposing attorney on the grounds that attorney had represented her “in two divorce actions stemming from common-law marriages.”