What's happening?

In New YorkA city in the USA. It is in a state also called New York. , a man called Mr Anderson died. He was married, but he also lived and was in a relationship with another man.

When Mr Anderson died, his landlordThe person who owns a property which is being rented. said his unmarried partner could not stay. But a judge disagreed, and said that both Mr Anderson's married and unmarried partners should have the same rights. 

Marriage usually involves only two people. It also involves the law - in many places, married couples have rights that unmarried couples do not have. 

Today, some think that marriage is no longer important. In the UK, the number of marriages between men and women is falling. 

And 41% of young Americans are interested in having relationships with more than one person at the same time. This is called polyamory. 

Find out more

Some say marriage ruins true love, by putting it under too many rules. But others point out that many people still want to get married - 2.4 million in the USAThe United States of America is a country in North America. It has a population of 329 million. every year. 

Is marriage dying?

Yes! In many places, the number of marriages is falling. Many end after only a few years. It is time to move on from marriage.

No! Lots of people really want to get married. Many think it is still a special sign of showing how important a relationship is.