List of national legal systems
Common law is currently in practice in Ireland, most of the United Kingdom (England and Wales and Northern Ireland), Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India (excluding Goa), Pakistan, South Africa, Canada (excluding Quebec), Hong Kong, the United States (on a state level excluding Louisiana), and many other places. In addition to these countries, several others have adapted the common law system into a mixed system. For example, Nigeria operates largely on a common law system, but incorporates religious law.
Common-law marriage in the United States
Today, domestic common law marriages can be contracted in the following nine jurisdictions:Additionally, these two jurisdictions recognise domestic common law marriage in the limited circumstances indicated:Of the remaining 40 states, 13 never permitted and 27 no longer permit common law marriages to be contracted within their jurisdiction. The latter group will only recognise a domestic common law marriage if it was contracted in the state prior to the date of abolition. Nevertheless, all states recognise validly contracted "foreign" common law marriages, because they recognise all validly contracted foreign marriages. E.g. California abolished the common law contract of marriage in 1895 and, thus, will only continue to recognise a domestic common law marriage contracted in California prior to that date; but any validly contracted "out-of-state" common law marriage will be recognised by California, because it recognises "all" validly contracted foreign marriages under Cal. Family Code 308.