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The latest claimant taken out handicapped widow’s insurance policies positives towards the worker’s income number, however the Assistant declined their app due to the fact claimant failed to meet up with the nine-month stage-of-relationship specifications within the 42 You. 416(c). That it assertion is kept from the area legal. New claimant upcoming appealed towards U.S. Court from Appeals into Very first Circuit. New legal regarding is attractive detailed you to Puerto Rico cannot acknowledge common-law marriages which the requirements to own creating a valid wedding for the Puerto Rico are ready ahead for the Blog post 69 of the Civil Code, 30 L.P.R.An effective. § 231. Brand new courtroom discovered that, in this case, the requirements of Post 69 was indeed demonstrably perhaps not fulfilled nine months ahead of the worker’s death. The judge subsequent discovered that this new claimant’s constitutional „equal safeguards“ attack toward nine-times course-of-relationship specifications is actually incorrect under Weinberger v. Salfi, 422 You.S. 749, 95 S.Ct. 2457, forty-five L.Ed.2d 522 (1975), and you will Mathews v. de Castro, 429 You.S. 181, 97 S.Ct. 431, 50 L.Ed.2d 389 (1976). The claimant in addition to debated one, just like the she was the brand new worker’s concubine, she got a right around Puerto Rican legislation so you can inherit out-of the worker’s estate since the their widow, and you can she will be considered are the brand new widow of staff below 42 You. 416(h)(1)(A). New legal regarding appeals learned that, less than Puerto Rican legislation, a beneficial concubine of an employee has actually a straight to a share of the property acquired throughout concubinage however, does n’t have a directly to inherit a widow’s express of your inactive worker’s intestate individual assets. Ergo, the claimant cannot getting deemed becoming the brand new widow away from the brand new worker less than 42 U. 416(h)(1)(A) because of the application of legislation out-of Puerto Rico into the intestate succession. During the upholding the brand new district court’s decision affirming the Secretary’s assertion out-of that it allege to have widow’s pros, new courtroom regarding appeals kept that claimant wasn’t named to help you positives because disabled widow of worker.
She debated you to definitely, given that she and the staff got cohabited to possess 20 years earlier in the day on the date of the ceremonial relationship, its cohabitation got switched its matchmaking on the a legal wedding better before the 9-week months
Appellant Esther Ayuso Morales tried Public Safety handicap masters depending their particular standing once the „widow“ of the insured employee Honorio Montanez Figueroa. Around 42 U. § 416(c) in order to be considered since the a „widow“ a woman need come partnered for around 9 months during their particular partner’s passing. Appellant’s marriage took place in nine-week several months. Gurus have been denied.
On the focus, she urges one she is however eligible because the she cohabited that have their unique spouse having twenty years in advance of its relationships. She adds that, in any event, below 42 U. § 416(h)(1)(A) a candidate is actually good widow in the event that she’d, „in regulations . . . [out of Puerto Rico] determining the devolution regarding intestate personal assets, have the same reputation . . . as a spouse . . . [or] widow. . . .“ Look for fundamentally, Rombauer, Relationship Condition and you may Qualification to have Federal Legal Money Positives: An ancient Survey, 52 Wash.L.Rev. 227, 257 ainsi que. seq. (1977). She says that concubinage laws from Puerto Rico gives their unique for example reputation.
We can not take on appellant’s very first dispute. We realize one some common rules jurisdictions recognize non-ceremonial or „common law marriage ceremonies.“ This type of marriage ceremonies are formulated of the consent of activities because the any other contract. F.W. Kuchlar, Laws from Wedding and you can Relationship step one-5 (2d ed. 1978); see O.Elizabeth. Koegel, Common law ent in america (1922). But common-law marriage ceremonies are not recognized during the Puerto Rico. The fresh new requisites regarding a legitimate relationships when you look at the Puerto Rico are prepared forth for the Post 69 of the Municipal Password, 29 L.P.R.An excellent. § 231. Provided among these requisites ‚s the „[a]uthorization and you may celebration out-of a matrimonial offer with respect to the versions and you may solemnities prescribed for legal reasons.“ On lack of this type of models and you will solemnities, there clearly was no marriage. Rivera v. District Court out-of San Juan, 58 P.R.Roentgen. 352, 354 (1941); Vazquez Bote, Notas sobre el matrimonio en derecho puertoriqueno, 49-56 Rev. P.R. 491, 493-94, 510-a dozen (1973-75). E. Lalaguana Dominguez, Estudios de- derecho matrimonial 244-forty five (1962).