[ansel12]

Of course there is legal marriage, aside from having to know what is legal for immigration and military service and so on, what about divorce, child custody, inheritance, division of property and so on?

[Mrs. Don-o]

That would be interesting to look into. How was this handled before it was licensed by the state? That would be for most of the history of Western Civilization.

I know very little about the history of marriage and family law. I understand Mary Ann Glendon has written a pretty comprehensive book on the subject: The Transformation of Family Law: State, Law, and Family in the United States and Western Europe

I see it's available used for about $10. I might get it.