Legal Question in Family Law in Alabama

Re: Common Law Marriages

Time is not an element of Common Law Marriage in Alabama. If a man and women hold themselves out to the public as husband and wife, a lawful divorce is required.

Re: Common Law Marriages

There is not really enough info on the first question to reply. But if a man and woman reside together and hold themselves out as man and wife it is possible that a common law marriage may have occurred in Alabama (not in Florida for instance.) But just living together will not establish the common law marriage.

As to question #2, absent fraud, a judgment will not be reopened to award alimony unless the court has reserved jurisdiction or made a nominal award (ie $1.00/yr) in the final judgment itself.