Civil marriage is administered by the State.
The union between a man and a woman that is carried out through different rites or procedures is known as marriage . The marriage bond is recognized at a social and cultural level and implies rights and obligations.
Several countries have begun to accept marriage between people of the same sex, a situation that has led to this marital union no longer being the exclusive preserve of heterosexuality.
Characteristics of civil marriage
There are two main types of marriage in Western society: religious marriage (legitimized in the eyes of God ) and civil marriage (administered by a state authority).
Civil marriage, therefore, is the conjugal union that creates a bond between two people with rights and obligations. The State must be responsible for ensuring compliance with these duties; If a spouse does not comply with their commitments , they can go to court.
In many countries, civil marriage can be between people of the same sex.
Associated rites
However, we must not overlook other equally important rites in this case, such as the consent of the two parties or the deposit. The latter is carried out by the groom who gives them to his future wife as a sign of the goods they will share.
In addition to all this, it should be noted that it has become fashionable for civil marriages to also have rites that replace those performed in religious weddings. In this case, among the most frequent is that of light. It consists of each spouse carrying a lit candle and then, together, lighting another larger one that symbolizes the life together that they are about to begin.
Obligations and rights related to civil marriage
The union of civil marriage, for example, allows legitimizing the filiation of the couple's children , establishes conditions regarding the management of marital assets and imposes inheritance rights.
Unlike a religious marriage, a civil marriage can be broken. The dissolution of marriage is known as divorce , a procedure that is subject to various regulations and that provides protection especially to the wife and children born during the dissolved bond.
Among the most frequent causes of divorce are domestic violence , adultery , lack of affection and change in sexual orientation . It should be noted that the divorce regime depends on each country.