<P> In the Americas and Europe , in the 21st century , legally recognized marriages are formally presumed to be monogamous ( although some pockets of society accept polygamy socially , if not legally , and some couples choose to enter into open marriages ) . In these countries , divorce is relatively simple and socially accepted . In the West , the prevailing view toward marriage today is that it is based on a legal covenant recognizing emotional attachment between the partners and entered into voluntarily . </P>
<P> In the Americas and Europe , in the 21st century , legally recognized marriages are formally presumed to be monogamous ( although some pockets of society accept polygamy socially , if not legally , and some couples choose to enter into open marriages ) . In these countries , divorce is relatively simple and socially accepted . In the West , the prevailing view toward marriage today is that it is based on a legal covenant recognizing emotional attachment between the partners and entered into voluntarily . </P>
in the united states the only legally sanctioned form of marriage is
in the united states the only legally sanctioned form of marriage is
monogamous
monogamous