An arranged marriage is just like it sounds, a marriage that was arranged by the parents; sometimes the bride and groom didn’t even know one another. An arranged marriage has a lot of history behind it and for the cultures that have this they take pride in it. Where many of us frown upon it and get angry at the thought of making someone marry someone they don’t want to marry, however we never really stop and think about the way the culture is. Despite this being a characteristic of the cultures involved, it’s a situation that needs looked at when these cultures are living in countries where basic freedoms to choose are common for all people who live there, even those born into a culture that doesn’t, for the most part, believe this is right. Common law marriage requirements are listed below for all states that recognize such a union: Alabama – mental capacity to enter into agreement; agree to be married and consummation of the relationship Colorado – present yourself as married and cohabitate Iowa – intend to be and stay married, continuous cohabitation and public declaration of marriage Kansas – mental capacity and legal ability to marry, agree to marry and publicly represent that you are married Montana – capacity to consent, agree to marry, cohabitate and have a reputation of being married Oklahoma – competency, agree to marry and cohabitate Pennsylvania – verbal exchange of agreement to marry and a plan to stay married Rhode Island – serious intent to stay married and conduct of a married couple South Carolina – represent yourself as a married couple Texas – signed form at their local county clerk’s office, agree to marry, cohabitate and behave as husband and wife Utah – capable of giving consent and a reputation of being married Washington, D. Kids will slowly adjust to the changes, but they sometimes need assurance and encouragement to understand what is going on. Especially if the kids are young, they may have difficulty accepting what is going on with their new family. If there was significant discord in the first marriage, it might be difficult for kids to adjust successfully with the changes. Any children of their union were considered illegitimate, since their own relationship was not legitimate. Some women became concubines of married men because their families were not able to afford to provide a dowry for them. This was considered an embarrassment. Many slaves lived in this manner. The relationship was not meant to be permanent; it was only supposed to last until the slaves had gained their freedom. How to Save Your Marriage Many marriages fail because of a lack of communication, a rocky foundation of trust, the inability to spend quality time together, and countless other reasons. In spite of everything, there are ways to help save a marriage that is heading toward negativity. A healthy marriage is comprised of mutual understanding, listening and respecting each other’s differences, accepting arrangements and plans, and overall, having the confidence to work through setbacks and conflict.