What is the law on common-law marriage in Louisiana?

Louisiana, like most states in the country, doesn’t permit its residents to enter common-law marriages, which are also called informal or non-ceremonial marriage.

But the state will recognize common-law marriages contracted elsewhere as long as the arrangements were valid in the couples’ home states.

Common-law marriages generally involve the following, as listed in the Social Security Administration’s policy manual:

“The marriage is entered into by mutual consent of the parties to become husband and wife from that time on and is not solemnized by a ceremony.”

“The parties must have the intent to marry.”

“The parties must consider themselves husband and wife.”

“Both parties must be legally capable of entering into a valid marriage.”

“The marriage must be contracted in a State where common-law marriages are recognized.”

“In some States, the parties must cohabit and hold themselves out to the public as husband and wife.”

States that allow couples to enter common-law marriages:

• Colorado.
• District of Columbia.
• Iowa.
• Kansas.
• Montana.
• New Hampshire.
• Oklahoma.
• Rhode Island.
• South Carolina.
• Texas.
• Utah.

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$15M pod project to start in summer

The School Board voted to build more classrooms at 11 schools. At what schools are these classrooms to be constructed and when? Who decides?

Holly Holland, spokeswoman for the Calcasieu Parish School Board, said the project will involve the placement of classroom pods at Bell City High, Sam Houston High, LeBleu Settlement Elementary, E.K. Key Elementary, Iowa High, Iowa Middle, Sulphur High, LaGrange High, S.J. Welsh Middle, Nelson Elementary, Positive Connections and College Street T. & I.

The project, which will cost $15 million, will be financed with gambling revenue over 10 years, Holland said.

The School Board is now advertising for bids, which will be opened Tuesday, April 11, she said, and work should begin in the summer.

“School Board staff evaluated requests and justification from 30 schools, prioritized all requests into three groups based on a variety of criteria and submitted the plan for approval by the School Board,” Holland wrote in an email.

www.cpsb.org