Based on the facts you presented, it is difficult to say whether you are in a common law marriage, although living together for 20 years certainly helps, as would having children, joint assets and accounts, filing joint tax returns and the like. It should be noted that Georgia abolished common law marriage about ten years ago. But common law marriages formed before that change would still be valid (as in your case, at least as a matter of timing).
The bigger challenge you will face is proving you represented yourselves as husband and wife and otherwise lived as spouses. The burden will be on the person asserting common law marriage to prove the relationship's existence. Common law marriages need to be dissolved via a divorce petition, like any other marriage.
Georgia recognized common law marriages established in Georgia until Jan 1, 1997. A common law marriage occurred when a man and woman agreed to be married, cohabited and held themselves out to the public that they were husband and wife. The justification for recognizing common law marriage was so that the children of such a union would not be considered to be illegitimate. Georgia continues to recognize common law marriages from other states where this form of marriage is still legal to make and common law marriages entered in Georgia prior to the above date.
