Free US Law Dictionary

Cohabitation

Affinityʉۢ Attachmentʉۢ Bondingʉۢ Boyfriendʉۢ Casualʉۢ Cohabitationʉۢ Compersionʉۢ Concubinageʉۢ Courtshipʉۢ Divorceʉۢ Domestic partnershipʉۢ Dower, dowry, and bride priceʉۢ Familyʉۢ Friendshipʉۢ Girlfriendʉۢ Husbandʉۢ Infatuationʉۢ Intimacyʉۢ Jealousyʉۢ Limerenceʉۢ Loveʉۢ Marriageʉۢ Monogamyʉۢ Nonmonogamyʉۢ Office romanceʉۢ Passionʉۢ Pederastyʉۢ Platonic loveʉۢ Polyamoryʉۢ Polyfidelityʉۢ Polygamyʉۢ Psychology of monogamyʉۢ Relationship abuseʉۢ Romanceʉۢ Separationʉۢ Sexualityʉۢ Serial monogamyʉۢ Sexual orientationʉۢ Significant otherʉۢ Weddingʉۢ Widowhoodʉۢ Wife
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Cohabitation is an emotionally- and physically-intimate relationship which includes a common living place and which exists without legal or religious sanction.

Couples commonly choose to live together for one or more reasons: wanting to test compatibility or establish financial security before marrying, a desire to live as married when same-sex, interracial, or interreligious marriages are not legal or permitted, living with someone before marriage as a way to avoid divorce, a way for polygamists to avoid anti-polygamy laws, a way to avoid the higher income taxes paid by some two-income married couples (in the United States), negative effects on pension payments (among older people), and seeing little difference between the commitment to live together and the commitment to marriage.

Some couples prefer cohabitation because it does not legally commit them for an extended period, and because it is easier to establish and dissolve without the pricey legal costs often associated with a divorce. In some states cohabitations can be viewed legally as common-law marriages, either after the duration of a specified period, or the birth of the couple's child, or if the couple consider and behave accordingly as husband and wife. (This helps provide the surviving partner a legal basis for inheriting the deceased's belongings in the event of the death of their cohabiting partner.)

Today, cohabitation is a common pattern among younger people in the Western world, especially those who desire marriage but whose financial situation temporarily precludes it, or who wish to prepare for what married life will be like before actually getting married. More and more couples choose to have long-term relationships without marriage, and cohabitate as a permanent arrangement.