[alliemb]

We were together 22 years and I left. He worked too much.. I was lonely.

I however find myself without any money. When I left I left him everything because I felt sorry for him and I was living with him and not paying him rent.

However, I am feeling bad that he owns a business and is making lots of money and I have nothing. I had a lot of personal problems and could not work. What does the law stipulate about assets? Am I entitled to part of the business since we were basically married? We lived together for about 16 years.

[Fr_Chuck]

Many if not most states do not reconise common law marriage any longer, and those that do often require that you do certain things to be considered married,

So there is no such thing as "basicly married" you were either married or you were not married.

If you were not married, if you paid money into starting the business, or helped him in the business without pay to make it grow, you may have some claims to it, but you will have to prove it)

So what you needed to do was have some rings and a preacher about 16 years ago and then you would have a lot more rights.

This is one of the issues that gay couples are fighting for to marry, since without that marriage they have little rights to division of property when they split.

You needed to have your name on the business, on property and the such to have more rights