Same-sex marriage, civil marriage and cohabitation: the law, the rights and responsibilities

Abstract

Generally, marriage is believed to be the union of two persons. However, very little attention is paid to its validity which attracts rights and responsibilities. This paper examined the law surrounding marriage rights and responsibilities attached if any, depending on whether the marriage is valid or not. The paper employed qualitative method of legal research as it placed reliance on primary sources of law materials such as the Marriage laws of various jurisdictions. It also placed reliance on secondary sources of law material which include books on marriages, articles in journals as well as articles on the internet. The paper observed that many intending couples make erroneous choices of marriages which are not valid depending on the law of marriage in their jurisdiction. As a result, no right and benefit or privilege accrues to them legally. The article recommended that there is a need for intending couples to get more acquainted with the laws regulating marriage in their respective jurisdiction to ensure they contract a valid marriage.

Keywords: Marriage, same sex, civil marriage, cohabitation