@Milladyret I think common law marriage was developed to protect women. It is similar to a wife being given homestead right to her marital home, even if her spouse did not put her on the deed. This varies in states, but if I remember FL correctly, if a wife lives in the home, and she is not on the deed, and her husband drops dead, and in his will he willed the house to his mistress, the law says tough shit and the wife still has a right to 30% of the home (maybe its more?) and I don’t think she can be forced to move, but I would have to look it up.
I have a relative who in her late 60’s thru early 80’s dated and then lived with her boyfriend (they had known each other since their 20’s, she was a close dear friend of his wife before he was ever married). He was very generous to her, which she many times said she didn’t want. As a child her family had gone from having a lot to having very little, and going “backwards” was something she dreaded. He assured her he would take care of her if he died. He was a lawyer and so was his son (the main character in this story was like an aunt to the son the boys/mans entire life) .
They travelled all over the world with another couple, close friends. When this man died the family gave her nothing. They have millions, for this woman even a $100,000 would be nice. The friend they used to travel with told the son, that his dad had said he wanted to make sure his SO was taken care of had mentioned he was going to change his will. The son didn’t care. They tried to prove common law marriage, but did not have enough evidence. She got screwed. They had had a real love affair late in life and she had cared for him during his more difficult final days. We have no idea if the SO never did the will, or if he trusted his son, and the son buried it somewhere.