You stay classy.As someone who has had the same live-in GF for 24 years,
You stay classy.As someone who has had the same live-in GF for 24 years,
Congratulations, but don't break your arm patting yourself on the back. It takes two to make a marriage but only one to make a divorce.First and Last Spouse - 50 years this coming April. What is this thing called Divorce?
I know of a fellow, very successful, his wife decided to divorce him and run off with some other fellow, so she took 1/2 of everything.
He thought ok, I'll just work longer to age 60 and be golden.
ex-Wife came back after about 4 yrs having spent all her $$. Incredibly they got re-hitched, and then 3 years later she did it again!
Now his plan is to work until age 75 !!
Unless one is young and planning to start a family, and both partners are willing and able to do this, why get married?
The arguments I've heard note that it greatly simplifies health care and end-of-life issues. A legal spouse has many more rights than a live-in-boyfriend when issues like dementia start to rear their ugly head. When one spouse dies, all property automatically transfers to the surviving spouse, whereas a common-law spouse or live-in-partner will have a fight on their hands. Also, things like corporate pensions and health plans have survivor benefits that apply to married spouses, but not live-in partners. Common-law would apply, but can be more difficult to satisfy (as opposed to simply showing them a marriage certificate).
Plus, you know, .... Romance!
Roughly half, by my calculation.So after one has done all this paperwork so as to duplicate marriage without actually being married, what is the difference?
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So after one has done all this paperwork so as to duplicate marriage without actually being married, what is the difference?
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Congratulations, but don't break your arm patting yourself on the back. It takes two to make a marriage but only one to make a divorce.
The arguments I've heard note that it greatly simplifies health care and end-of-life issues.
Any words of encouragement for this person?
Why would anyone get married when 50% of the marriages end in divorce, and the other 50% end in death?
Everything earned during the marriage. The ex will not be entitled to 1/2 the 401k, just maybe 1/2 of the 401k contributions and earnings during the marriage. Huge difference. This is also true for all assets. They can't take 1/2 a house your friend owned before the marriage, for example, even in a community property state.