Same-Sex Marriages, Civil Unions, and Domestic Partnerships

Although many people interchange the terms same-sex marriage and civil union, they are actually two different and distinct concepts. A same-sex marriage is defined as a marriage between two individuals of the same gender. A same-sex marriage involves a certain legal status for the couple. Further, each state has its own requirements with respect to marriage.

An Overview of Abortion

Abortion is a controversial topic in the United States. An abortion is defined as the spontaneous inducement that results in the expulsion of a fetus. There are statistics that support the contention that 40% of all women will have an abortion at some point during their reproductive lives. Abortions are one of the most frequently performed medical procedures in the United States. Women from every socioeconomic group obtain abortions.

Bigamy

Bigamy is the act of marrying one person while legally married to another. Bigamy is a criminal offense when it is knowingly committed. Bigamy is the wilful contracting of a second marriage when the contracting party knows that the first is still subsisting; or it is the state of a man who has two wives, or of a woman who has two husbands living at the same time. The punishment of the offence varies by state.

Civil Harassment

Domestic violence cases involve a special relationship between the parties. The special relationship may be created by: (1) a family relationship, such as husband and wife; or (2) cohabitation, i.e., the parties live together. Civil harassment cases do not involve a special relationship between the parties. A civil harassment complaint may be filed against any person, even if that person is not a spouse or a cohabitant.

International Divorce and Foreign Divorce Decrees

With many people living and working abroad after being married in the United States international divorce is becoming more of a common practice. International divorce cases may be very complex due to the laws of the country in which the parties currently reside.