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* Open relationships are termed when one or more participants in any relationship are free to seek other partners outside the relationship while staying attached to their primary partner, long-term relationships of this type are often referred to as Primary and Secondary relationships.
* Open relationships are termed when one or more participants in any relationship are free to seek other partners outside the relationship while staying attached to their primary partner, long-term relationships of this type are often referred to as Primary and Secondary relationships.
[[Category:Sexuality]]
[[Category:Sexuality]]
== Legal Status ==
Being polyamorous is not technically illegal anywhere in the US, however public knowledge about a person's polyamorous leanings can cause complications at work or in legal dealings such as custody disputes. Many states have fornication or cohabitation clauses in bigamy statues that do cover polyamorous behavior that can range anywhere from a misdemeanor and negligible fine to a felony and a year or more in prison as well as a substantial fine. Polyamorous relationships can be considered "cohabitation" and thus are prohibited by the bigamy statues of many states. They can also be considered as "presenting a marriage as having more than two participants" which also trips the bigamy laws.
In most states, these laws are rarely (if ever) enforced but the concern for polyamorous individuals and families is still present. Further complicating the idea is that many laws that may affect such relationships are convoluted and unclear so someone is never quite sure if they're violating a statue or not until they find themselves in court.