The number of marriages registered in Moldova during the past ten years decreased by almost 8,000. The data of the National Bureau of Statistics show the number of marriages decreased from over 29,000 in 2007 to almost 21,000 in 2017. Asked by IPN to comment, lawyer Dumitru Sliusarenko, of “Promo-LEX” Association, said the decline in the number of marriages is first of all due to the diminution of the population following the massive migration. Another cause that is less typical for Moldova is the fact that the young people adopt more liberal views and no longer consider marriage as something necessary.
Nevertheless, marriage is a form of protection of a relationship between two partners. “By marriage the couple’s rights and obligations concerning the raising of children are regulated. In case of divorce, the rights and obligations of each parent are also defined. It is decided who will have custody of the children, who will care for the children, who will pay child support. By marriage, it is decided the property of each partner, how this will be divided by spouses in case of divorce, how the property gained during the marriage will be divided. By marriage, the inheritance when one of the spouses dies is regulated,” stated the lawyer.
Dumitru Sliusarenko noted the non-legalized relations are less regulated and thus pose more risks to each partner. A nonregistered relationship provides fewer rights. For example, the person does not have the right to claim the inheritance left by the partner if there is no testament. The assets gained together by the partners during the relationship are not regulated. In case of separation, it is harder to divide the earned property, such as a house, a car and other assets, as it is hard to prove in court the contribution of each of the partner to the gained property.
According to the lawyer, the state’s interest in the legalization of the relations between two partners is based on several reasons. The marriage enables the state to keep a record of families and children. As a result, state policies on social and health services and other forms of protection are worked out and applied.
Under Moldova’s legislation, marriage is allowed between a man and a woman older than 18. In particular objective situations, marriage is allowed even if the partners didn’t come of age, but are older than 16. The marriage is registered in a month of the submission of an application to the civil status service or the mayor’s office of the locality where one of the future spouses, their parents or close relatives, if one of the partners is an orphan, live.
A state tax of 20 lei is paid for registering the marriage. At request, the marriage can be registered in a festivity for a tax of 100 to 500 lei, depending on the chosen scenario and if a banquets hall is used. If the marriage is registered outside the working program, on the weekend or outside the civil status office, additional taxes are paid, but not more than 1,000 lei. These do not include the transport expenses.
