The problem of creating a family, namely, the new configuration of marriage and intimate relations - unregistered marriage is becoming increasingly important in modern society. Unregistered marriage is the most common and socially approved model for organizing family life, taking into account the large similarity with a registered marriage. Young men and girls are currently not in a hurry to have families and children, but create so-called unregistered marriages. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to allocate the leading motives for creating just such a form of marriage among student youth, rather than traditionally accepted in Russia. The leading method of researching this problem is an indepth interview, which allows considering this problem and identifying the particular practices and problems of living in an unregistered marriage of students. The article presents the results of a study of the students' attitude towards unregistered marriage. It was revealed that the basis of unregistered marriage in most cases is the psychological unwillingness of partners to take full responsibility for the family. Most couples surveyed said that they plan to have children only in a formal marriage, since most of the girls surveyed would not feel legally protected, giving birth to a child in an unregistered marriage. The data obtained in the work can be used in family counseling, in family centers by practicing psychologists and teachers, as well as for further theoretical development of this issue, since the problem of various types of marriage and family relations is quite relevant today. This is a new area, where there are still many unresolved issues that require further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]