Final answer:
A putative spouse is someone who believes in good faith that they are legally married to another person, even if the marriage is invalid. During a putative marriage, a putative spouse may have the right to acquire property.
Step-by-step explanation:
In legal terms, a putative spouse refers to someone who believes in good faith that they are legally married to another person, even though the marriage is not valid. In some jurisdictions, if a marriage is later found to be invalid, the putative spouse may be entitled to certain rights and protections, including the right to acquire property during the putative marriage.
For example, let's say John and Jane get married but later find out that their marriage license was invalid due to a clerical error. However, both John and Jane believed in good faith that their marriage was legal. During their putative marriage, Jane acquires a property in her name. Even though the marriage is determined to be invalid, Jane may still have a claim to the property as a putative spouse.