Thread:Nausiated/@comment-24800939-20190328161849/@comment-61022-20190328170123

In the One Moment In Time story arc states that they remained engaged instead of getting married. That about as close as they got to explaining the nature of their non-marriage post BND.

As OMIT and handbooks have gone on to say is that all the events that happened post ASM Annual #21 happened exactly as they did with a few minor changes. Engaged instead of married. Their honeymoon was a regular vacation. Doctor Strange did all the post-Back in Black magic. Otherwise it's all pretty well the same.

That said, I used the term "common-law couple" not so much in the legal sense (as you are correct that New York state does not recognize one unless you were considered to be in a common-law marriage elsewhere) but in the more general term, which is synonymous to a demestic partnership or a conjuical union.

In the eyes of the law in the state of New York they don't have what is considered a marriage. I think that on a personal level, the two considered themselves something more than just a normal couple. Certainly with all the hocus pocus created by Mephisto their union is outside of the norm.

Still, even though state law might not recognize a common-law union, it could still be recognized at the federal level. That could range from sething as mundane as taxes to an ugly drawn-out-in-court separation.

So there are many legal complexities around a legal definition and we probably won't get any answers since I doubt that would make for compelling reading. That said, generally speaking, common-law is not incorrect.

As for calling it "topical" is not entirely accurate either. They were married at the time of the publication in question and there is an in universe reason why they are not and why events were changed (the handbooks still mention their marriage after ASM 545 even) It was a fact, now it's not by means of altering reality. A topical reference usually applies to a real world thing mentioned in universe that has or will become dated (a celebrity, a current event, the date on the calendar, the type of real world equient used etc.)