The language of the contract according to what you have said was not constrained by the gender of the partner. If this is the case, my opinion is that you fulfilled a contract which they then breached, according to the information to hand. But you need to consult a lawyer on the finer points. As tyo common-law marriages I am perplexed as to how laws can not recognize common-law, but I suppose the law is an ass that can turn a blind eye to anything it chooses!!

A