Marriage and Divorce

Abstract

Marriage between two people is one of the oldest social institutions in the world. So why do we need to legally regulate marriage? The answer is simple—marriage is a contract, albeit a special one, between two people that covers many aspects of their lives together. Most countries in the world like each state in the U.S. define a marriage as taking place between a man and a woman. But, we know that there are many family arrangements where people live in a marriage-like home without a formal marriage ceremony. This includes same gender couples as well as friendship groups often called ‘families-of-choice’. Sometimes the law covers them and sometimes it does not.