4 fundamental forms of marriage

throughout the world

1. Monogamy

2.Polygyny - one man, several wives

3. Polyandry - one woman, several husbands

4. Group Marriage

polygamy

encompasses both

polgyny and polyandry

types of monogamous marriage

1. Ceremonial Marriage

2. Covenant Marriage - harder to enter and exit. Emphasizes the seriousness of marriage

3. Common Law- includes capacity and intent to marry, cohabitation, and a holding out to the public as husband and wife. Based on behavior rather than ceremony

4. Same-sex marriage - not recognized federally, recognition also depends on jurisdiction

5. Putative Marriage -  a person who believes in good faith that his or her invalid marriage is legally valid 

civil law

one of the two primary legal sys-

tems in the Western world, originat-

ing in the Roman Empire and 

influential in several parts of the 

world and a small number of states

Community Property States

 states in which a husband and wife 

hold property acquired during the 

marriage (exclusive of gifts and in-

heritances) in common, with each 

spouse entitled to a one-half inter-

est in the property upon divorce 

Married Women's Property Acts

 state statutes that extended to 

women various property rights de-

nied them under common law, in-

cluding ownership and control of 

property

marriage

 a legal status that two people attain 

by entering a government-approved 

and regulated contract with each 

other; a civil contract between a 

man and a woman or between two 

same-sex partners in a state that 

permits marriage of partners of the 

same sex