alone42long said:
i live in iowa and i want to know if there is any such thing as palimony in my state. i have lived with my boyfriend for 3 years and i need to leave him because of verbal and physical abuse. we have one child together so i know that i will be ordered child support but i'm worried about taking care of me as well. he has his own company and makes very good money but when i got pregnant i had to quit my job (health reasons). i also allowed my car to be repossessed (he didn't want it) and the house i lived in (rent free) was sold. do i have any recourse or must we be married in order to get alimony. please help me.
My response:
You don't have to be concerned with "palimony" in the State of Iowa, as you might in the State of California (See Marvin vs. Marvin (1976) 18 Cal.3d 660, 134 Cal.Rptr. 815).
You may, in fact, already be married under Iowa's "Common Law" marriage statute, and thus, entitled to Alimony (Spousal Support)
Iowa
The requirements for a common-law marriage are: (1) intent and agreement to be married; (2) continuous cohabitation; and (3) public declarations that the parties are husband and wife.
If you look under Attorneys in your Yellow Pages, find a Family Law attorney who is willing to give you a free consultation. This will help you to determine your specific rights in your situation under Iowa law.
You're welcome, and good luck.
IAAL
