Tex. Codes » Family Code · TITLE 1. THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP · SUBTITLE A. MARRIAGE · CHAPTER 2. THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP
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Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401 (2026)

Proof Of Informal Marriage

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Sec. 2.401. PROOF OF INFORMAL MARRIAGE. (a) In a judicial, administrative, or other proceeding, the marriage of a man and woman may be proved by evidence that:

(1) a declaration of their marriage has been signed as provided by this subchapter; or

(2) the man and woman agreed to be married and after the agreement they lived together in this state as husband and wife and there represented to others that they were married.

(b) If a proceeding in which a marriage is to be proved as provided by Subsection (a)(2) is not commenced before the second anniversary of the date on which the parties separated and ceased living together, it is rebuttably presumed that the parties did not enter into an agreement to be married.

(c) A person under 18 years of age may not:

(1) be a party to an informal marriage; or

(2) execute a declaration of informal marriage under Section 2.402.

(d) A person may not be a party to an informal marriage or execute a declaration of an informal marriage if the person is presently married to a person who is not the other party to the informal marriage or declaration of an informal marriage, as applicable.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 7, Sec. 1, eff. April 17, 1997. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1362, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 268 (S.B. 6), Sec. 4.12, eff. September 1, 2005.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 179 cases (39 in the last 5 years), 1998–2026 · leading case: Ranolls v. Dewling, 223 F. Supp. 3d 613 (E.D. Tex. 2016).
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Ranolls v. Dewling, 223 F. Supp. 3d 613 (E.D. Tex. 2016). · cites it 5× “Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401. Hogan invokes the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell, issued on June 26, 2015, which granted same-sex couples the right to marry and to have lawful same-sex marriages recognized.”
Assoun v. Gustafson, 493 S.W.3d 156 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2016). · cites it 3× “Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401. A párty may prove these elements by circumstantial evidence.”
Ganesan v. Vallabhaneni, 96 S.W.3d 345 (Tex. App.—Austin 2002). · cites it 2× “” Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401(a)(2) (West 1998).”
Smith v. Deneve, 285 S.W.3d 904 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2009). · cites it 2× “Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401(a)(2) (Vernon 2006).”
Jasper v. State, 61 S.W.3d 413 (Tex. Crim. App. 2001). “Tex. Fam.Code § 2.401(a)(l)(2) (Vernon 1998).”
Small v. McMaster, 352 S.W.3d 280 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2011). · cites it 2× “An informal or common-law marriage exists in Texas if the parties (1) agreed to be married, (2) lived together in Texas as husband and wife after the agreement, and (8) there presented to others that they were married.”
Joplin v. Borusheski, 244 S.W.3d 607 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2008). · cites it 3× “Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401(a)(2) (Vernon 2006); Lewis v.”
Lan Ngoc Nguyen v. Dinh Duc Nguyen, 355 S.W.3d 82 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2011). · cites it 2× “See Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401(a)(2). Whether an informal marriage is void due to the impediment of a prior marriage and whether a party failed to establish the necessary statutory elements for an informal marriage are two separate and independent bases for finding “no informal…”
Amaye v. Oravetz, 57 S.W.3d 581 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2001). · cites it 3× “Laws 4404 (recodified 1997) (current version at Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401 (Vernon 1998)).”
Lewis v. Anderson, 173 S.W.3d 556 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2005). · cites it 2× “Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401(a)(2) (Vernon 1998).”
Pamela Lou Burden v. Steven Bradley Burden, 420 S.W.3d 305 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2013). · cites it 2× “See Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401(a)(2) (West 2006); Russell v.”
In re Est. of Loveless, 64 S.W.3d 564 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2001). “TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. § 2.401(a)(2) (Vernon 1998).”
Show all 179 citing cases →
Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401(2): 1 case
Chase Allen Curtis v. Gabrielle Analisa Laplante, No. 04-24-00801-CV (Mar. 25, 2026).
Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401(A)(2): 1 case
In the Est. of Edward C. Curry v. the State of Texas, No. 10-23-00207-CV (Tex. App.—Waco Aug. 28, 2025).
Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401(a): 16 cases
Assoun v. Gustafson, 493 S.W.3d 156 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2016). “Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401. A párty may prove these elements by circumstantial evidence.”
Lavely v. Heafner, 976 S.W.2d 896 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1998).
in the Est. of Thomas Trevino Araguz III, 443 S.W.3d 233 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2014).
Creel v. Martinez, 176 S.W.3d 516 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2005).
Texas Mut. Ins. Co. v. Lacey Ochoa, No. 13-20-00060-CV (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg May 27, 2021).
Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401(a)(1): 3 cases
in the Est. of Kristin Eileen Viner AKA Kristin E. Viner Fka Kristin E. Winkelman, No. 07-19-00283-CV (Tex. App.—Amarillo Apr. 23, 2020).
in the Interest of L.A.M. & L.A.M., Child., No. 05-21-00788-CV (Tex. App.—Dallas Feb. 10, 2023).
Chase Allen Curtis v. Gabrielle Analisa Laplante, No. 04-24-00801-CV (Mar. 25, 2026).
Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401(a)(2): 74 cases
Ganesan v. Vallabhaneni, 96 S.W.3d 345 (Tex. App.—Austin 2002). “” Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401(a)(2) (West 1998).”
Smith v. Deneve, 285 S.W.3d 904 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2009). “Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401(a)(2) (Vernon 2006).”
Small v. McMaster, 352 S.W.3d 280 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2011). “An informal or common-law marriage exists in Texas if the parties (1) agreed to be married, (2) lived together in Texas as husband and wife after the agreement, and (8) there presented to others that they were married.”
Lewis v. Anderson, 173 S.W.3d 556 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2005). “Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401(a)(2) (Vernon 1998).”
Pamela Lou Burden v. Steven Bradley Burden, 420 S.W.3d 305 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2013). “See Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401(a)(2) (West 2006); Russell v.”
Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401(a)(l)(2): 1 case
Jasper v. State, 61 S.W.3d 413 (Tex. Crim. App. 2001). “Tex. Fam.Code § 2.401(a)(l)(2) (Vernon 1998).”
Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401(b): 12 cases
Joplin v. Borusheski, 244 S.W.3d 607 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2008). “Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401(a)(2) (Vernon 2006); Lewis v.”
Amaye v. Oravetz, 57 S.W.3d 581 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2001). “Laws 4404 (recodified 1997) (current version at Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401 (Vernon 1998)).”
Ranolls v. Dewling, 223 F. Supp. 3d 613 (E.D. Tex. 2016). “Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401. Hogan invokes the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell, issued on June 26, 2015, which granted same-sex couples the right to marry and to have lawful same-sex marriages recognized.”
Lavely v. Heafner, 976 S.W.2d 896 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1998).
Wilson ex rel. C.M.W. v. Est. of Williams, 99 S.W.3d 640 (Tex. App.—Waco 2003).
Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401(c)(1): 3 cases
Kingery v. Hintz, 124 S.W.3d 875 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2004).
Anderson, Brandon, No. PD-1550-15 (Tex. Dec. 1, 2015).
Brandon Anderson v. State, No. 10-14-00182-CR, 2015 WL 6584041 (Tex. App.—Waco Oct. 29, 2015).
Tex. Fam. Code § 2.401(d): 2 cases
Lan Ngoc Nguyen v. Dinh Duc Nguyen, 355 S.W.3d 82 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2011). “See Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 2.401(a)(2). Whether an informal marriage is void due to the impediment of a prior marriage and whether a party failed to establish the necessary statutory elements for an informal marriage are two separate and independent bases for finding “no informal…”
Paula Miller v. James Prince, No. 01-13-00243-CV, 2015 WL 545685 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Feb. 10, 2015).
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