Is Sister Wife Legal?

**No, the concept of a "sister wife" within the context of a polygamous marriage is not legally recognized in the United States.**

A "sister wife" typically refers to a woman in a polygamous relationship where one man is married to multiple women. While individuals can enter into personal relationships with multiple partners, **polygamous marriage itself holds no legal status** in the U.S.

## Understanding the Legal Status

The legal framework in the United States defines marriage as a union between two individuals. Entering into multiple concurrent legal marriages is prohibited and considered bigamy or polygamy, which are illegal acts.

*   **Polygamy:** The practice or custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time.
*   **Bigamy:** The crime of going through a marriage ceremony while already married to another person.

Because **polygamous marriage is not legally recognized in the US**, individuals in such relationships do not possess the legal rights, responsibilities, or protections afforded to legally married couples. This includes aspects like:

*   Marital property rights
*   Spousal support (alimony)
*   Inheritance rights as a spouse
*   Ability to file joint tax returns
*   Legal recognition of parentage within the marital structure (though individual parental rights are separate)

## Implications in Practice (as seen in the provided reference)

The lack of legal recognition means that relationships in a polygamous structure, even if long-standing and committed, are treated differently by the law than legal marriages.

As highlighted by the reference regarding the show *Sister Wives*:

> As polygamous marriage is not legally recognized in the US, there are no divorce documents to date the end of relationships. The end of a relationship is instead reckoned by announcements, and events such as moving away. In November 2021, Christine announced the dissolution of her relationship with Kody. [Sister Wives - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Sister_Wives](/url?q=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_Wives&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwivvreEl9KJAxW6-gIHHdxkB3MQFnoECAMQDg&usg=AOvVaw3YXwcQiJ3pmto4-em_ed9-)

This example clearly illustrates that because the polygamous unions shown are not legal marriages, their dissolution does not involve legal divorce proceedings. The end of the relationship is a personal or public event rather than a legal one documented by the state.

## Key Takeaway

While individuals are generally free to form consensual personal relationships, the specific structure of a **polygamous marriage**, where a man is legally married to or cohabits with multiple women as wives (the "sister wife" scenario in this context), is **not a legally permissible form of marriage** in the United States.

| Aspect                 | Legal Marriage (Monogamous) | Polygamous Relationship (Sister Wives Context) |
| :--------------------- | :-------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------- |
| **Legal Recognition**  | Yes                         | No                                             |
| **Number of Spouses**  | One                         | Multiple                                       |
| **Legal Rights**       | Yes (Spousal, Property, etc.) | No (as part of the marital structure)          |
| **Relationship Ending**| Legal Divorce               | Personal Dissolution/Announcement              |

In summary, while the personal relationship dynamics exist, the "sister wife" arrangement as part of a recognized legal marriage is illegal.