If you overstay the six months and apply a few months later, that overstaying will be forgiven.
This is usually at true as long as the couple can convince the interviewing officer of a bonafide and ongoing marriage. If they can not, then the AOS petition can be denied and then the overstay ban imposed. Nothing is a slam dunk with immigration and no lawyer has any additional information to offer.
You are probably right, Baron. Three to ten years ban for overstaying sounds right. However, in my particular example, the overstayer got married to a US citizen. In that case, three to ten years is rather harsh. I believe I am correct there.
A local radio station here in Southern California has a lawyer seminar once a year. Several dozen lawyers attend and one can go to several lawyer presentations. One or two of these lawyers are immigration lawyers. They give their presentations in hopes of getting clients and before and after the presentations, they are available for questions.
I got my information from the immigration lawyer's presentation. I am going from memory, but there were scenarios where the ban is one year, two years and perhaps three years or more. I don't remember. I am pretty sure of what I posted and that's why I posted them. Of course, my memory might not be accurate, but that's unlikely.
Baron, when I talk of marriage and if anyone else on this forum does, I hope we are talking about bonafide and ongoing marriages. I am sure sham marriages exist. I do wonder though what happens when bonafide marriages occur and be denied petition because the immigration officer does not believe it so.