My husband's ex left him when they got "married." I put it in quotes because SHE intercepted the marriage license and never filed it. Not understanding, when she got pregnant on the honeymoon, my husband, who relocated her from LA to Chicago, thought he had a happy life. She argued successfully in court that she was only there for an extended period and not married, and therefor the custody battle has taken place in CA since then. 4 years. Thank goodness, they signed, in front of lawyers a stipulation that they were never married and that should have been it.