Marriage law

Marriage law comprises legal rules governing who may marry and the rights, duties, and legal status marriage creates. Its rules vary across jurisdictions and change through legislation and court decisions.

Civil marriage: A marriage created and recognized by government under civil law. It is the legal form marriage law directly regulates, distinct from religious ceremonies.
Matrimonial property regime: The legal system determining how spouses own, manage, and divide property. It specifies the property consequences that follow from marrying.
Same-sex marriage: A marriage between two people of the same sex, legally recognized in some jurisdictions. Its recognition has tested whether marriage rules may distinguish by sex or sexual orientation.
Council of Trent: A sixteenth-century Catholic council that, among other reforms, formalized requirements for valid Catholic marriage. Its marriage decree shaped the distinction between religious and civil regulation.
Marriage equality: The principle that people should have equal legal access to marriage regardless of characteristics such as sex or race. Marriage-law reforms often turn on whether eligibility rules treat couples equally.
Marriage license: An official authorization issued before a couple may legally marry. Licensing is a common legal prerequisite, though requirements differ by jurisdiction.
Spousal support: A legal obligation for one former or current spouse to provide financial support to the other. Marriage can create support duties that persist during separation or after divorce.
Common-law marriage: A legally recognized marriage formed without a formal ceremony or license when specified conditions are met. It contrasts with systems that require formal registration or a ceremony.
Napoleonic Code: The 1804 French civil code that organized private law and influenced legal systems worldwide. Its rules helped spread civil regulation of marriage and family relationships.
Taxation of married couples: Tax rules that determine how spouses report income, claim deductions, and bear tax liability. Marriage can change a couple’s tax treatment and financial obligations.

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