Cohabitation Violates the Conditions of Marriage Content


The Vietnamese legal system in the field of marriage continues to be a hot issue for lawmakers.

Regarding property relations . Between parties whose marriage relationship is not recognized, there cannot be property relations between husband and wife. The payment and division of the common property of the two parties is carried out as in the case of payment and division of the property of a real company. According to the Law on Marriage and Family 2000, Article 17, Clause 3, after the marriage is annulled, the separate property of each person remains the separate property of that person; the common property is divided according to agreement; if no agreement is reached, the Court is requested to resolve, taking into account the contributions of each party; priority is given to protecting the legitimate rights of women and children.

Without a marital relationship, there is no basis to establish a maintenance obligation between the two parties in the event that one party falls into poverty after the marriage is annulled.

b. Consequences for children

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Principle of protecting children's rights . According to the 2000 Law on Marriage and Family, Article 17, Clause 2, once an illegal marriage is annulled, the rights of the children are resolved as in a divorce: the father and mother continue to have the obligation to look after, care for, educate, and raise minor children or adult children who are unable to work and have no property to support themselves; the father or mother who does not directly raise the child has the obligation to provide support and the right to visit,... Of course, if the parents continue to live together as husband and wife, the issues of support and visitation do not arise.

c. Violation of marriage registration conditions

Cohabitation Violates the Conditions of Marriage Content

Marriage has no legal value. First of all, it must be recognized that a marriage without legal value is not necessarily an illegal marriage, because according to the definition of the law, an illegal marriage is a registered marriage that violates the conditions on the content of the marriage: a marriage without legal value is not registered but may not violate the provisions related to the conditions on the content of the marriage. According to the Law on Marriage and Family 2000, Article 87, in the case of no marriage registration but a request for divorce, the Court will accept and not recognize the marital relationship according to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 11 of the Law. It can be noted from this that in the thinking of the legislator, a marriage without legal value is simply a marriage that does not give rise to legal consequences.


SECTION II. CO-LIVING RELATIONSHIP


AS HUSBAND AND WIFE

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Concept . If marriage is the establishment of a husband and wife relationship with a marriage registration, then cohabitation is a husband and wife relationship without a marriage registration. Such a relationship can be established in a way that does not comply with the conditions of marriage content, but can also be completely in compliance with those conditions.


I. Cohabitation as husband and wife violates the conditions of marriage

Formation of the relationship . A cohabitation relationship that violates the conditions of marriage can be formed in one of two ways:

- Or it is the maintenance of a marital relationship between people who were illegally married after the marriage has been annulled by a judgment or decision of the Court;

- Or it is the establishment of a conjugal relationship between people who know clearly that they do not have the right to register their marriage but still want to live together as husband and wife.

Legal consequences of the relationship . A marital relationship that violates the conditions of marriage is an illegal marital relationship. However, the establishment and maintenance of that relationship is only subject to administrative or criminal sanctions in some cases - incest, violation of monogamy, early marriage, forced marriage,... as known. In the context of positive law, only one thing is certain: between these people and their children there is always a parent-child relationship and that relationship gives rise to all the mutual rights and obligations of parents and children in accordance with the law on marriage and family.


II. Cohabitation as husband and wife does not violate the

Conditions of marriage


1. Real marriage

Concept . De facto marriage is a real relationship, established between two people, a man and a woman, who have all the conditions to get married according to the law, living together as husband and wife, but do not register their marriage 21 .


21According to Joint Circular No. 01/2001/TANDTC-VKSNDTC-BTP dated January 3, 2001 of the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuracy and the Ministry of Justice, men and women living together as husband and wife are considered to be married if they meet the conditions for marriage according to the provisions of the 2000 Law on Marriage and Family and fall into one of the following cases:

- Have a wedding ceremony when living together;

- Their living together is accepted by the family (one or both sides);


a. History of de facto marriage

Objective circumstances and perception. There was a long period when de facto marriage was recognized in practice, as a supplementary institution that had the effect of overcoming difficulties in establishing a civil status system nationwide (difficulties caused by war), as well as in improving the awareness of a part of the population about marriage and family. Some people wanted to register their marriage as soon as they established a marital relationship but could not register because the civil status office had not been established in their place of residence; after many years, growing older, treating their partner as husband and wife (it had become a natural reflex), having children together, having common property, this person realized that marriage registration had become an abnormal procedure, even having the effect of lowering the value of the marital relationship that he had established (in reality) a long time ago. Others, due to backward perception, believe that marriage registration is just a formality, that the marriage rituals established in custom are the ethical procedures and have real value in establishing marriage relations in the eyes of the community.

Social phenomenon . Living together as husband and wife without registering a marriage, although not violating the conditions of marriage, in the context of contemporary society, is also a social phenomenon, a way of life, and not simply a consequence, a remnant of war or of backward customs: living together without marriage, the parties can end their life together by separating in practice without having to go through divorce proceedings (and then, if they want, the parties can live together again without getting married) 22 . Lawmakers do not encourage the development of this phenomenon, but they cannot consider it as an illegally established relationship.

In particular, there are cases of cohabitation between older people who have failed in their marriages: afraid of the complicated procedures that must be carried out when needing a divorce as well as the possible adverse consequences regarding property after the divorce, these people "restart their lives" and accept to live together and behave as husband and wife, but refuse to register their marriage.

b. Lawmaker's solution in 2000

Identify three types of de facto marriage . According to the Law on Marriage and Family 2000, Article 11, Clause 1, marriage must be registered according to the provisions of Article 14 (of the Law) and any other marriage ceremony has no legal value. However, according to Resolution No. 35/2000/QH10 dated June 9, 2000, the application of Clause 1, Article 11 above is not the same depending on the de facto marriage established before the Law on Marriage and


- Their living together is witnessed by other people or organizations;

- They really live together, care for each other, help each other, and build a family together.

The concept of cohabitation as husband and wife recorded in that Circular is built within the framework of the implementation guidance of Resolution No. 35 dated June 9, 2000 of the National Assembly, the content of which will be analyzed below.

22The right to marry, in fact, has two aspects. Positively, the right to marry is understood as the right of a person to freely choose his or her life partner, as long as that choice does not violate the conditions of the content of marriage. Criterion

In extreme cases, the right to marry is understood as the right... not to marry. The right not to marry, in turn, also has two forms of expression: simple, the unmarried person pursues a single life; complex, the unmarried person lives as husband and wife with another person, in accordance with the conditions of marriage content, but does not register the marriage.

It is this second form of expression of the right not to marry that gives rise to social problems that concern not only lawmakers but also those working in ethics, sociology, etc.


Family Law 1986, after that Law but before the Law on Marriage and Family 2000 or after this Law (clause 3).

a) In case the marital relationship was established before January 3, 1987, the effective date of the 1986 Law on Marriage and Family, but the marriage has not been registered, it is encouraged to register the marriage; in case of a request for divorce, the Court will accept and resolve the case according to the provisions on divorce of the 2000 Law on Marriage and Family;

b) Men and women who lived together as husband and wife from January 3, 1987 to January 1, 2001 and met the conditions for marriage registration as prescribed by this Law, are obliged to register their marriage within two years from the effective date of this Law until January 1, 2003; during this period, if they do not register their marriage but request a divorce, the Court shall apply the provisions on divorce of the 2000 Law on Marriage and Family to resolve the matter; after January 1, 2003, if they do not register their marriage, the law shall not recognize them as husband and wife;

c) From January 1, 2001 onwards, except for the cases specified in Point a and Point b, Clause 3 of this Resolution, men and women living together as husband and wife without registering their marriage shall not be recognized by law as husband and wife; if there is a request for divorce, the Court shall accept the case and declare that the husband and wife relationship is not recognized; if there is a request regarding children and property, the Court shall apply Clauses 2 and 3, Article 17 of the 2000 Law on Marriage and Family to resolve the matter.


2. Period of cohabitation as husband and wife from a legal perspective

a. The relationship between two people living together as husband and wife

There is no legal relationship of husband and wife . Not being husband and wife in the legal sense, people who have a relationship as husband and wife do not have the obligation to live together and the obligations typical of a husband and wife relationship: the obligation to love, be faithful, protect, support, and help each other to progress together. Each person has the rights and obligations towards the other according to common law, like two normal individuals.

In terms of property, cohabiting couples do not have jointly owned property. During the cohabitation period, property created by one person belongs to that person; property created by two people belongs to their joint ownership. Property obligations established by one person only bind that person. Even in cases where property obligations are established to meet the essential needs of the family, in principle, the obligations only bind the person establishing the transaction. The use and disposal of property are governed by the general law on ownership: each person has the exclusive right to use and dispose of his or her own property; the use and disposal of common property is carried out according to the principle of unanimity.

b. The relationship between two people living together as husband and wife and a third person

Principle . For third parties, a cohabitation relationship without a marriage registration is not a marital relationship. Therefore, transactions that third parties establish with people living together as husband and wife are governed by common law. People living together as husband and wife are only jointly and severally liable.


for the obligations arising from such transactions, if they express a clear intention to establish such solidarity or if the law so provides.

In the case where one party enters into a transaction to meet the essential needs of the family, the other party is still not jointly liable. This solution is clearly inconvenient for the third party: every time a transaction is made with a person who appears to be married, the third party must ask that person to present a marriage certificate?

In case one of the two parties living together as husband and wife is injured in life or health by a third party and the other party is not normally supported, the damage suffered by the other party shall not be counted as the damage for which the third party must compensate.

In the case where one of the two parties has previously divorced and received alimony. According to Article 61, Clause 6 of the 2000 Law on Marriage and Family, if the party receiving alimony after the divorce marries another person, the obligation to provide alimony ends. Does that provision also apply to the case where the party receiving alimony after the divorce does not remarry but only lives with another person as husband and wife? After all, this second case has a clearer practical significance than the case foreseen by the law. In the context of the written law, we do not have a definite answer. Normally, a divorced person who lives with another person as husband and wife will automatically not request continued alimony; the person living with that person as husband and wife, for his part, also usually does not want the person living with that person to continue receiving alimony from that person's ex-spouse. However, it is not impossible that the person receiving alimony still wants to continue receiving alimony, while the person living with the person receiving alimony does not know about it or knows but does not object. In that case, the person with the obligation to provide support risks having to “shoulder” many people, not just one person, because, as will be seen, the level of support is calculated based on the needs of the family of the person receiving support, not just that of this individual.

c. The relationship between two people living together as husband and wife and their children

Principle of protecting the rights of children . The policy of the legislator is: the parent-child relationship is not affected by the establishment, change, or termination of the cohabitation relationship between the father and mother, nor is it dependent on the nature of the cohabitation relationship between the father and mother. Whether the father and mother are married or not, whether the father and mother are still living together or have separated, the mutual rights and obligations between parents and children still exist. Therefore, those who live together as husband and wife without registering their marriage have all the rights and obligations of parents towards their children and vice versa, in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Marriage and Family 2000.

Establishing parent-child relationship . In case of dispute regarding the establishment of parent-child relationship, the presumption of law in determining father and mother, as stipulated in Article 63, Clause 1 of the Law on Marriage and Family, shall not apply to children born from cohabitation as husband and wife. “A child born during the marriage or due to the wife being pregnant during that period is the common child of the husband and wife”. Between people living together as husband and wife without registering their marriage, there is no “marriage period” as defined by law. However, if the “marriage period” is abolished by a judgment or decision annulling an illegal marriage, then a child born between the date of registration of the illegal marriage and the date of the judgment or decision of the Court annulling that marriage or


Because the mother was pregnant during that period, it was presumed that the child was theirs, as an exception.

In case of adoption . According to the Law on Marriage and Family 2000, Article 68, Clause 2, a person can only be adopted by one person or by both spouses. People who live together as husband and wife without registering their marriage are not considered husband and wife; therefore, when two people living together as husband and wife agree on adopting a child, only one person is allowed to carry out the adoption procedure; the person living together as husband or wife with the adoptive father or mother cannot be the adoptive mother or father of the adopted person.


3. Termination of cohabitation

By agreement or by the will of one party . Not recognized by law as an official marital relationship, a marital relationship without a marriage registration cannot be terminated while both parties are still alive by divorce, except for the cases specified in Point a and Point b, Clause 3 of the Resolution of the National Assembly dated June 9, 2000: not being a legal spouse, the parties wishing to terminate their cohabitation only need to... stop living together. In fact, a marital relationship without a marriage registration can be terminated by the initiative (unilateral decision) of one party without creating legal liability for the other party. The parties can also agree to terminate that relationship.

According to Article 87 of the 2000 Law on Marriage and Family, in cases where there is no marriage registration but there is a request for divorce, the Court will accept and declare that the marital relationship is not recognized according to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 11 of this Law. With this provision, those who live together as husband and wife without registering their marriage and ending their marital relationship through civil means will not have to receive such a declaration from the Court. Normally, those who live together without registering their marriage and mistakenly believe that they have a marital relationship are uneducated people. It would be more comfortable for the parties if the Court only refused to accept the divorce of those who did not register their marriage, on the grounds that there was no marital relationship to end it. Those who are mistaken about their status will then know what they need to do to deal with the consequences of their marital relationship.

Property consequences. After the marital relationship has ended, the property settlement is carried out in the same way as a real company: each person's own property is taken back; the property owned in common is divided according to common law; the person who contributed to the increase in the value of the property belonging to the other person has the right to request the return of that increased value according to the provisions on the validity of the status of property benefits without legal basis. The division can be carried out according to the agreement between the two parties. In the case of the marital relationship ending due to the death of one person, the surviving person shall agree on the division with the heirs of the deceased. If there is no necessary agreement between the parties, one or both parties may request the Court to resolve. The Court's settlement will be carried out on the basis of applying the provisions related to the payment of assets in cases of illegal annulment of marriage (Law on Marriage and Family 2000, Article 87).


Rights and obligations towards children. The law provides detailed regulations on the settlement of the issue of exercising the rights and obligations of parents towards their children in the event of divorce. If the marriage between parents is annulled due to illegal marriage, the issue of children is also resolved as in the case of divorce (Law on Marriage and Family 2000, Article 17, Clause 2). What if the de facto marriage ends while both parties are still alive? Normally, when two parties living together as husband and wife decide to end the relationship, they also have the necessary agreement on the custody of minor children or adult children who are unable to work. If the parties cannot reach such an agreement, then, at their request, the Court shall resolve the matter by applying the provisions relating to the rights and obligations of parents towards their children after divorce (Law on Marriage and Family 2000, Article 87, referring to Clause 2, Article 17 of the Law).


CHAPTER II


ESTABLISHING A PARENT-CHILD BONUS

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A parent-child relationship is a legal relationship between one person (called the child) and another person (called the father or mother): depending on whether the other person is male or female, the relationship is established as a parent-child relationship or a mother-child relationship. The parent-child relationship can be established naturally from the event of conception and birth (called the biological parent-child relationship) or artificially from adoption.


SECTION I. PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP

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Problem statement . Clarifying the parent-child relationship is not only necessary in cases where there is a dispute about the status of a person as father, mother, or child, when the judge, upon request, is responsible for assessing the evidence against each other. Someone comes to a notary office and claims to be the biological child of a deceased person whose inheritance is being paid; the notary office must check the status of the “child” of that person before he participates in the transfer and payment of the inheritance. A minor under 15 years old commits an act that causes damage to another person; the Court calls the father of the person who caused the damage to Court to resolve the issue of compensation for the damage; one of the conditions for the Court session to proceed normally is that the person called to Court must actually be the father of the person who caused the damage...

The methods of determining the biological parent-child relationship, depending on their nature, can be classified into two main groups: determining the parent-child relationship as a natural relationship and determining the parent-child relationship as a legal relationship.


I. Identifying the parent-child relationship as a natural relationship

Called natural, the parent-child relationship binds the people involved naturally and is recognized by third parties without the intervention of law, without relying on legal rules. As a natural relationship, the parent-child relationship can be determined based on one or both factors: biological and sociological.

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