I was married under common law and divorced in court. I never had a marraige license, but I do have a divorce decree. I pursued the divorce to obtain legitimization for my two children AND to establish custody.
I was ‘common law’ married in 1993 and divorced in a court of law in 2000. I can see this being the case in the 1960’s as most common law marraige laws were around back then. All that had to be established was that she and he represented themselves as husband and wife and also lived together as husband and wife.
Not in Hawaii.