Constitutive elements of de facto unions

(4) Not all de facto unions have the same social weight or the same motivations.  When describing their positive characteristics, over and above their common negative trait of postponing, ignoring or rejecting the matrimonial union, some elements stand out.  First, there is the purely factual character of the relationship.  It should be pointed out that these unions imply cohabitation that includes a sexual relationship (which distinguishes them from other forms of cohabitation), and a relative tendency toward stability (which distinguishes them from sporadic or occasional forms of cohabitation).  De facto unions do not imply marital rights and duties, and they do not presume to have the stability that is based on the marriage bond.  They are characterized by their strong assertion to not take on any ties.  The constant instability that comes from the possibility of terminating the cohabitation is consequently a characteristic of de facto unions.  There is also a certain more or less explicit “commitment” to “mutual fidelity”, so to speak, as long as the relationship lasts.