Nonmarital relationships: Introduction

ABSTRACT

In the United States today, adults live in a variety of nonmarital relationships and situations, ranging from committed partners who cohabit, to people who cohabit with differing levels of commitment,1 to committed partners who live apart. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of these relationship forms differently. The coming years will reveal the extent to which these impacts will alter the social and legal landscape around nonmarital relationships. These relationships have produced a range of responses in both existing law and law reform efforts. Meanwhile, scholars from various disciplines are studying nonmarital relationships, including polyamorous arrangements and other communities of choice. The Uniform Law Commission has developed a new proposal for uniformity in this area that addresses property rights and equitable claims, but not the many other legal rights and obligations that might accrue. Although the resolution of property disputes between nonmarital partners remains a critical concern, scholars have become interested in exploring the availability of other types of legal rights and the impact of demographic variations that the law has previously overlooked or oversimplified. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)