This paper presents matrimonial law in the area of former Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia in the civil law period. In the paper are described the essential features of marriage in terms of defining the institution of marriage. Firstly definition was set by the Church and later by the state authority. In the area of marriage which was previously in Church's jurisdiction, the state sets the rules of Joseph II., which were later included in the law named Opći građanski zakonik. This law didn’t change the definition of marriage given by the Church, but the state did not acknowledge marriage with significance of sacrament, and also the members of other religions were taken into account. Since Croatia was divided into several areas where various laws and customs were applicable in the 19th century, this paper deals with the editing of the spouse's rights in the legal area of the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia. In this area was valid Austrian law with the spouse's religious rights. Opći građanski zakonik, with the exception for Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic and Orthodox, was applied, along with the law called Zakon o ženidbi katolika and Naputak za duhovne sudove. Except the church marriage, which was considered as the genuine form, there also appears a civil form of marriage. With civil form of marriage they wanted to insure that all citizens will be equal in front of law. In 1946th, with introduction of a law for obligatory civil marriage, the period of obligatory church marriage ended in Croatia and Slavonia. Considering the division of country into several areas and the appearance of marriages with an international element, this paper is also processing the international matrimonial law. International matrimonial law and its rules were essential for defining the law that needed to be applied for some matrimonial relations or matrimonial effects.