Some insist they sign away claims to property acquired during the marriage.

Women who are divorced, separated or widowed have no rights over property acquired during the marriage or the children who by custom belong to the father's clan.

All movable property acquired during the marriage is subject to the parties' domicile law at the time of acquisition, and not that of the original or intermediate domicile.

Since New York's equitable distribution law went into effect in 1980, property acquired during the marriage, including the residence, is equitably distributed in a divorce settlement, regardless of who holds the title.

In a community property jurisdiction, most property acquired during the marriage (except for gifts or inheritances)-the community, or communio bonorum-is owned jointly by both spouses and is divided upon divorce, annulment or death.

The legislation does not confer most of the entitlements of marriage, however, like the right to share property acquired during the marriage, to seek financial support when the relationship ends and to be recognized as a family member for many public benefit programs.