Marriage
People of noble blood tend to marry younger than commoners. This is both because they are not as impeded by economy as are commoners, and because their marriages are often made for political reasons, and may be planned from birth. Arranged marriages are the norm. It is considered acceptable for cousins to marry one another, and they often do.
Money tend to play a great part in noble marriages. Girls are given dowries with no age ranking between them. Often bridal prices are paid to the girl’s father which far exceed the girl’s dowry, especially when a nobleman marries the daughter of a higher noble. Bridal prices tend to grow great when a upper-class commoner marries a nobleman’s daughter, and dowries paid by rich merchants to marry their daughter off to a heriditary noble are enormous. As a rule of thumb, affluent nobles marry within their own rank, rich nobles marry above, and poor nobles marry below.
In general, girls tend to marry after they turn sixteen and before they turn twenty, while noblemen marry at some time before the age of thirty. A nobleman will usually be eager to prove himself before settling down and marrying. It is considered quite alright for noblemen to bed with prostitutes and to "sow their wild oats" wherever they can. Noblewomen are expected to remain virginal to the time of their marriage.
Although marriages are usually arranged, neither party needs the consent of their parents to marry, though marrying without a parents consent may cause disowning. Despite this possibility, it is not unheard of for nobles’ daughters, especially heiresses to be abducted and married against their parents' (and even their own) wills. A marriage vow is considered binding, even when made under duress. Divorces can only be performed by a clergyman of greater rank than the one who performed the marriage.
Upon the parents deaths, children will inherit their property. The oldest son inherits most or all of the land, with younger sons getting smaller lots.
It is possible for a nobleman to disown one or more of his children, depriving them of their inheritance and removing them from the line of succession. This is rather extreme, and will put them in a state of disgrace. Any and all disowning become void if there are no other candidates, and this has led to some rather grisly affairs
Bastardy is considered inferior to birth within <marriage, but known bastards may be taken care of by their fathers, and may even be sent for tutoring or named heirs (though not to the father’s title). Either way, proven bastardy gives right to bear one’s father arms, though with a special mark. Bastard daughters may also be taken care of by their fathers (though this is less common) but may claim no legal benefits.
A nobleman retains his title until his time of death, when it passes to his heir, though if in an extreme state of disgrace, he may abdicate rather than to have his family lose the title.
Succession is determined by age, the oldest son normally is successor to the title. Should a nobleman beget only daughters, the husband of one of them will succeed him. A noblewoman to who is heir to her father’s title is called a heiress, and is a much coveted object of marriage.