The topic of the thesis is life in an extramarital union (cohabitation) and is derived from research recommendations in the document Family Global Contract (2023) by the Vatican Di castery for Laity, Family, and Life. Within the theoretical framework, the processes of secularization and individualization and their effects on contemporary marriage and family are studied in detail. In addition to the mentioned social processes, the the oretical framework also elaborates on the institution of marriage, the sacrament of matrimony, and some alternative forms of marital unions: cohabitation, living in communes or Israeli kibbutzim, living apart together, and single life. The general aim of t he research is to describe why young people choose to live in non marital cohabitation. The specific aims of the research are to describe the participants' reflections on the institution of marriage and the sacrament of matrimony, as well as to describe th eir experiences with living in non marital cohabitation and potentially getting married. The research is conducted using a qualitative method of semi structured interviews with a sample of 9 male and female participants aged between 23 and 35 years. The re search results are interpreted from the perspective of the processes of secularization and individualization. The research results show that these social processes indeed leave an impact on the marital, non marital, and family life of the participants.