If you truly love your partner, does a ring and a ceremony really do anything?

I know there are certain legal situations where an official marriage changes who has certain rights, but aren’t those same rights available if you make other legally-official decisions E.G. a will or trusts, etc?

I’m generally curious why people get married beyond the “because I love them” when it costs so much money.

  • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
    0·
    22 hours ago

    1. Kids. Being married before you have kids is huge in some states and important in many. In my state unmarried father’s have no rights to children even if they sign the birth certificate. Sure you can adopt, but that’s far more expensive than a marriage certificate.

    2. Protection in the case of breakup or divorce. You have rights to shared property in a divorce, you have no rights to anything you didn’t buy or put in your name otherwise. You can sort of solve this with making a partnership and putting all assets into it, but it’s not quite the same and far more complicated. Also if you aren’t the breadwinner, there isn’t really a way to ensure spousal support without a marriage.

    3. Legal protections. You can’t be compelled to testify against a spouse. While you can do things like medical power of attorney, you don’t get it by default like marriage, which means you either need that document on hand at all times or in an emergency situation you could be prevented access or decision making authority until you provide documentation. There’s also social security, you can draw on a spouse, but there isn’t an equivalent, same for pensions that offer survivor benefits.

    4. Insurance benefits from employers generally require you to be married.