The Laws of Love: A Legal Guide for Couples

This book is both timely and written by a distinguished expert in the field. The Laws of Love offers practical guidance to couples and families in all the complex variations of contemporary society. The book covers relationships from moving in together to death and divorce. The topics include covenant marriage, common law marriage, gay marriage, cohabitation, inheritance, the rights of children and parents, sexual privacy and reproductive rights, assisted reproduction and adoption. Moreover, this book goes far beyond a simple collection of forms - it explains love's legal consequences from their historical origins to their evolving status in today's American society. Over 4.5 million people cohabit with a person to whom they are not married; over 50 per cent of children will live with a cohabiting couple for some time during their childhood. Although The Laws of Love discusses traditional and religious marriages, it is particularly relevant to non-traditional families.