Happy Sexy Love How to bulletproof relationships with happy, sexy love
The week of April 20, 2026, a Wall Street Journal series
shares stories about the financial impact of divorce.
WSJ subscribers read it here. Or read Hadley Finch’s
insightful summary and action plan now:
The first article by Ashley Egeling in this series, reveals the
messy legal issues of divorce that unwed couples may face
in a breakup, and how to avoid them.
A featured couple was married in a religious ceremony, and
they broke up eight years later. The woman sued her ex for
financial support and her share of their seven-figure home,
because she quit her job to take care of her mate and
his daughter. The Judge dismissed her case because
they never applied for a license to get married legally.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said the 55-year-old woman, who
is studying law and trying to rebuild her life.
WSJ reports that over 20 million American adults are
living together without the legal bonds of marriage, up
from 14 million in 2009, according to the National Center
For Family & Marriage Research.
This article clarifies how most state laws impact married
versus unmarried couples. A legal marriage is a financial
partnership, presuming that the assets will be divided
equitably upon a breakup.
Legal resolutions for unmarried couples often hinge on
a court’s interpretation of case law. “It’s the Wild West,”
said a family lawyer in Denver.
Most states don’t recognize common-law marriages
so they don’t equitably divide assets when unwed couples
break up, with the exception of Texas and Kansas.
How can unmarried couples avoid legal disputes in a
breakup? Some sign cohabitation agreements, which
are like marital prenups. Not all states recognize them.
A family law professor warns that the person with less
financial means often has no right to the property that
was acquired during a relationship, upon its breakup.
That changes once a parenting relationship is created.
Then the same legal standard weighing what is best for
the child applies to married and unmarried couples alike.
WSJ reporter Ashley Egeling shares stories of custody
battles and financial support battles between unmarried
couples, with “dumbfounding” outcomes. In Washington
state, couples In a committed intimate relationship
typically divide property acquired while they were together,
even if only one partner paid for it and holds the title to it.
Elsewhere, unmarried people generally have to be on the
title of the property to have an automatic claim to it after
their relationship ends.
Hadley Finch’s advice:
Before entering a committed relationship, Hadley Finch
advises couples to imagine the best and protect against
the worst, by creating a cohabitation or prenup agreement
that protects each partner’s financial well-being.
And by taking the best actions each day to create happy, sexy
love that lasts.
And discover how Parents Manage Anger With Love, using quantum tools and brain plasticity exercises
you explore in Hadley Finch’s latest book. Get it here:
