French version

Life in couple without being married. 

In France

In France, If a couple lives maritally (concubinage), they can obtain some advantages, comparable to those of married couples, with some administrations (Social Security, welfare...). For that purpose, they have to prove they live in couple and supply a certificate of common life or cohabitation. But this certificate creates no rights, nor obligations  for the couple.

The proofs can be given by neighbours' testimony, in writing or orally, presented to the city hall, to the registry office. The mayor  can then deliver a "certificate of cohabitation", but no text obliges him to deliver such a certificate. 

You have to appear together, to the city hall where you belong, and provide :

- A documentary evidence of identity (ID card, passport) 

- With documentary evidences of the place of residence (receipt of rent, telephone...) 

You will sign in front of the responsible of registry office the document below, and he/she will legalize your signatures.

The French status of concubinage is not recognized under US law, for exemple; the persons with this status are not eligible to receive dependent visas.

The PACS, the civil pact of solidarity.

It was created to answer the desire of the homosexual couples to benefit from guaranteed (notably economic) rights, similar to those of the married couples. But a PACS can be contracted by two persons, no matter  the nature of what their relations, sexual or not, might be. So, these couples have generaly the same rights as the others, and the most wide-spread popular ethics is not taken in contrary. 

To show well that the PACS cannot be likened to a marriage, this one is tied up, not to the city hall, but with the judicial authorities.

Legal involvements of the certificate of cohabitation or the PACS.

For the children, the situation is identical, no matter that the parents are in PACS or in cohabitation. They are, in both cases, natural and not justifiable children. It has however no consequence on the filiation, because, in this domain, couples refreshed the same rights as the married couple. 

At the level of the parental authority, the parents exercise in common their authority, if they both recognized their children before their first birthday. In the case of the death of one of the parents, the surviving partner would be the legal tutor, thus, he would take charge of it.

Other countries 

To have information on the others countries  you can make a search on Google, by typing :  'unmarried couple'  or cohabitation + law + country  Entrez les termes que vous recherchez. Envoyer un formulaire de recherche

For Exemple :

U.K. : http://www.lawontheweb.co.uk/basics/cohabit.htm

              http://www.b-h-p.com/?page=192 

U.S. : http://www.lectlaw.com/files/fam14.htm

              http://www.palimony.com/articles.html

You must know that in some muslim countries cohabitation of unmarried couples is not allowed...