In Arizona, establishing a conjugal relationship usually requires a proper marriage license and ceremony. Nonetheless, sure states acknowledge a kind of marriage created by way of mutual settlement, cohabitation, and public illustration as husband and spouse, with out the formal authorized course of. Such a marital union, whereas acknowledged in some jurisdictions, shouldn’t be validly created inside Arizona’s borders. For instance, if a pair lives collectively in Arizona and holds themselves out to the group as married, however didn’t legally marry in a state the place casual unions are permitted, they aren’t thought of legally married in Arizona.
The idea of such unions traditionally supplied a authorized framework for {couples} to be acknowledged as married in conditions the place formal ceremonies had been tough or unimaginable to conduct. Recognition conferred rights and obligations associated to property possession, inheritance, and spousal advantages. Arizona’s choice to not acknowledge this type of marriage stems from a coverage desire for formal registration, selling readability and certainty in marital standing. This reduces potential authorized complexities in issues corresponding to divorce and inheritance.
