Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands In the Netherlands, same-sex marriage ( or commonly "homohuwelijk") has been legal since 1 April 2001. The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Unregistered partnerships or informal cohabitation is when same-sex or opposite-sex couples live together as a couple but they choose to keep the legal status of their relationship unregistered or informal. This means all worldwide assets that belong to a single party remain the sole property of the party with no legal entitlement by the other party, whether owned before or acquired during the relationship. This legal
Cohabitation in the United States Partners Registry, granting them limited legal recognition and some rights similar to those of married couples. Two states, Mississippi and Michigan, have laws on their books against cohabitation by opposite-sex couples. Anti-cohabitation laws are often not enforced although until recently, cohabitants were regularly being charged with misdemeanors in Florida. On March 22, 2016, the Florida legislature voted to repeal the state's ban on cohabitation. The Florida Governor Rick Scott signed the bill into law on 6 April 2016. Many legal scholars believe that in light of in "Lawrence v. Texas", such laws making cohabitation illegal are unconstitutional (North Carolina Superior