1949-S AMH CARR TANG 030789 FAILED 2/10/04

SHB 1949 - H AMD

By Representative Carrell

On page 3, line 6, after "family member" insert "and the petitioner and respondent are married to each other or were in a meretricious relationship with each other. To qualify as a meretricious relationship, the court must find that there is or was a stable, marital-like relationship where the parties could have otherwise been legally married to each other but cohabited with each other knowing that a lawful marriage between them did not exist. When determining whether a meretricious relationship existed, the court shall consider, at a minimum, all of the following factors: (i) Whether the cohabitation was continuous and uninterrupted for at least one year prior to the filing of the petition; (ii) the purpose of the relationship and whether the petitioner and respondent held themselves out to be in a marital-like relationship; and (iii) whether the petitioner and respondent pooled resources and shared assets for the benefit of their relationship"

EFFECT: Limits when the court may order temporary financial assistance to cases where the parties are married or in a meretricious relationship; Specifies a meretricious relationship exists if the court finds that there is a stable, marital-like relationship where the parties could have otherwise been married to each other but cohabited with each other knowing that a marriage did not exist between them; Specifies other factors the court must consider in determining whether a meretricious relationship existed.