Puolisot

Puolisot is Finnish for spouses, referring to the two individuals who form a marriage or a registered partnership. The term covers both opposite‑sex and same‑sex couples and is used in legal texts as well as in everyday language to describe the people who are committed to one another in a formal union.

In Finnish law, marriage and registered partnerships establish formal ties that affect rights and duties, such as inheritance, taxation, social security, parental authority, and mutual support. When a couple marries or enters a registered partnership, the spouses typically gain shared rights over property and decision-making in family matters. If the relationship ends, dissolution or divorce governs the division of assets and the responsibilities toward any children. The exact arrangements can vary, but the overarching principle is a legal recognition of the couple as a unit with shared responsibilities.

Historically, Finland created a pathway for same‑sex couples through the registered partnership制度 in 2002. In 2017, same‑sex marriage became legal, and new partnerships are now marriages; existing registered partnerships continue to be recognized, with many couples choosing to convert to a full marriage. The concept of puolisot thus encompasses both traditional marriages and the modern legal forms that bind two people in a long‑term partnership, regardless of gender.

See also: puoliso, avopuoliso, rekisteröity parisuhde.