Open AccessLegal Development of Non-Marital Union in Croatia
Author(s) -
Ante Graovac
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
law, identity and values
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2786-3840
pISSN - 2786-2542
DOI - 10.55073/2021.1.55-70
Subject(s) - political science , marital status , law , geography , sociology , demography , population
Legal development of non-marital union in Croatia went through different phases – from modest family law effects (property rights and the right to maintenance) in late seventies of the twentieth century to equating non-marital union with marriage nowadays, except the establishment of fatherhood and gaining common family name. In the Family Act (2015) non-marital union refers to a life union between an unmarried woman and an unmarried man that has lasted for at least three years or for a shorter duration if a common child has been born therein or has been continued by entering a marriage. The author underlines the problem of legal uncertainty that arises from the fact that non-marital union is informal and that preconditions for non-marital union effects are different in different legal branches. Overall, legal regulation of non-marital union in Croatia is inconsistent due to particular legal solutions.