Australia practiced forced adoption for unmarried mothers from the 1930s to the early 1980s, with up to 250,000 affected. Single women were drugged or deceived into signing adoption agreements. The government issued apologies in 2010 and 2013, and has pledged $11.5 million for victims. Annual adoptions peaked at nearly 10,000 in 1972, and an estimated […]
In the US, unmarried households outnumber married ones, with only 48% of households being married in 2010, partly due to an aging single population and young people waiting longer to marry. Cohabiting households account for 37% of households. Some states have higher marriage rates than others. There are more unmarried families in the United States […]
Married couples have legal rights, but unmarried couples’ rights depend on jurisdiction. Common law marriage and written agreements can grant rights similar to marriage. Without legal protection, unmarried couples may face issues with decision-making, inheritance, and separation. While all countries and localities grant certain rights to married couples, things are much less predictable when it […]
