Lawyer Pronounces Nicole Richie and Joel Madden Husband and Wife

Lawyer tells E! star couple have a "common-law" union as they turn up in court to restrain paparazzi

Nicole Richie clad in white. Joel Madden in his best suit. Courthouse. Marriage.

All were in play today in downtown L.A., but it's not exactly what you think.

Richie appeared Monday afternoon in court, where she was granted a permanent protective order against a couple of shutterbugs.

Richie, dressed in a sheer white blouse with her hair pulled tightly back in a bun, showed up with Madden, dressed in a black suit, and gave testimony of a car accident she blamed on the the paparazzi.

But the news that caused the most buzz was her lawyer's pronouncement of them as husband and wife.

Attorney Mark Geragos repeatedly referred to Madden as "your husband" during questioning of Richie.

And that was news to us.

While Richie and Madden have been together for three years and have two young children, they had, as far as we knew, tied the knot.

Afterward, Geragos expalined himself. He exclusively told E! News that Richie and Madden simply have a "common-law" marriage.

As for today's hearing, Richie faced off with the two photogs, Eduardo Arrivabene and Ivon Emilio Melo Miguel, she claims hounded her into a car accident last month.