State Interests in Marriage, Interstate Recognition, and Choice of Law

Abstract

One of the great complications of the current marriage debates is the way that federalism and conflict of law issues interact - both at the level of principle and constitutional doctrine - in the area of marriage and divorce. This article begins by looking at federalism in the context of domestic relations at a general level. It then considers how current family law rules and constitutional constraints complicate the analysis. Finally, it considers the way in which recognizing party choice of law might respond to some, but by no means all, of the problems in the area.

Keywords: Family Law, conflict of laws, constitutional law, marriage, federalism