Shanghai, May 31 (IANS) A woman in China has been awarded part of her late lover’s five million yuan (about $770,000) lottery win by a court, despite not marrying him.
The couple shared a relationship for 20 years, which the Songjiang District People’s Court Monday acknowledged to be a common law marriage, Shanghai Daily reported Tuesday.
The court ruled that Zhang and her daughter should receive more than two million yuan in cash while a villa and car should go to her stepson.
Zhang, a retired teacher, started living with her partner Li in 1988.
The couple, however, avoided registering their marriage.
In 2002, Li won a lottery prize of five million yuan. He bought a villa and a car. The family moved into the villa.
Li died of a heart attack in 2007.
