Marriage, consensual union, civil partnership

Entry into marriage

You can get married by a civil ceremony or a religious ceremony, which has the effects of a civil marriage

Consensual union

A consensual union is a union in which an unmarried woman and unmarried man have been cohabitating for at least three years or for a shorter period if they had a child together or if this union is continued by entry into marriage

Rights and obligations of spouses

A marriage is a union of a woman and man regulated by law

Entry into a civil partnership

Two same-sex persons can enter into a civil partnership before a registrar

Informal civil partnership

Informal civil partnership is the union of two same-sex persons forming a family, who have not entered into a civil partnership before the competent authority

Divorce

Divorce is initiated by a lawsuit of one marital spouse or a joint petition of both marital spouses for uncontested divorce

Marriage annulment

A lawsuit for annulment of a marriage may be filed if the requirements for the existence and validity of that marriage have not been met

Applying for a missing spouse to be declared dead

After the requirements have been met, a court may declare a missing spouse dead at the request of the other spouse