| A | B |
|---|
| Adultery | Is when one spouse has sexual relations with someone outside of the marriage. |
| Affinity | means you are related by marriage. |
| Bigamy | is an illegal act that involves a person has two spouses at the same time. |
| Ceremonial Marriage | couples must declare that they are married in front of any person that is legally licensed or authorized to perform marriages. |
| Alimony | an allowance for support that is paid by the former spouse in the case of a divorce. |
| Child Support | The finances of each parent are considered but each must contribute something in the way of money. Support must cover a child’s basic needs as well as the standard of living of each parent. |
| Covenant Marriages | Required in Arkansas, Arizona and Louisana for the purpose of attempting to reduce the number of divorces as well as protecting children. Couples wanting to get married must complete counseling before getting married and after getting married in order to resolve conflicts. |
| Common-Law marriages | Is an informal type of marriage created by the parties themselves. There are (11) states plus the District of Columbia that recognize these marriages. |
| Desertion | -is when one spouse separates from the other for unjustified reasons. The length of the separation is usually at least one year. |
| Consanguinity | means that you are related by blood. |
| Cruelty | can be either physical or mental cruelty or both in some cases. This may need to be more than one occurrence in order to use as a reason for divorce. |
| Marriage Contracts | Marriage is not just a personal thing, it is also a type of contract of which there is an offer and an acceptance. Consideration happens when each person promises to give up their right to remain single. The contract is fulfilled when the actual wedding occurs |
| Legal Separation | It is a court judgment that ends the right to cohabitate or live together. |
| Marriage License | It is a certificate that is issued by either a city, county or state government that gives a couple permission to marry. |
| International Marriages | U. S. citizens that are legally married in a foreign country will normally have their marriage recognized in the U. S. as long as the marriage was legal in the country they were married in. |
| North Carolina Legal Age | Minimum Legal Age With Parental Consent Male: 16; Female: 16 (One or both parents' consent unless minor has certificate of emancipation) |
| Polygamy | is an illegal act of having more than two spouses at the same time. |
| Prenuptial Agreements | an agreement is a written and signed legal contract couples make before getting married dealing with property and support issues. |
| Proxy Marriage | marriage which is when one or both people involved in the marriage cannot be present, such as but not limited to military members. In this case another person acting as an agent for the person not present, acts on the missing parties behalf by standing in for the marriage. |
| Waiting Period | most states require a period of time before the actual marriage license is issued. The main reasons are to allow for any cases of fraud, force or duress or any other untruthful act to be uncovered. It also gives any parents that object to the marriage to voice that objection. |
