Men may marry four times and women have virtually no alimony rights in a divorce.

Registered partnerships grant several rights of marriage, including, inheritance, hospital, spousal privilege, and alimony rights, but do not allow joint adoption, widow's pension, or joint property rights.

The main goal of the DiCo bill was to give cohabiting partners, irrespective of their sexual orientation, inheritance and alimony rights (after nine and three years of living together, respectively).

In some cases couples living together do not wish to be recognized as married, such as when pension or alimony rights are adversely affected, or because of taxation consideration, or because of immigration issues, and for many other reasons.