Legal Question in Family Law in California

California has not provision for a common law marriage. The parties would be bound by any agreement which they entered into regarding the sharing of income, property and debts. Generally these agreements are oral and therefore difficult to prove in court. The conduct of the parties during the time they lived together would be presented in court to prove their agreement. Joint checking accounts, one of the parties staying at home to care for children, perform household duties for the benefit of the other. Consulting with an attorney an reviewing all of the facts is required to evaluate the case.