From a somewhat different perspective, I was married for 13 years after living together for a couple years just out of college. Basically we (or maybe just me!) married because he needed extremely extensive and expensive surgery and because we had the same employer our insurance would pay 100% if we married. I was fine living together, and this was back in the '80s...anyway we were pretty good for 10 years but ended up divorcing.
Now I'm in a relationship of about 20 years - yes, far longer than my marriage! And no, we'll never marry. Neither of us have children but we clearly have well-developed careers and finances. I'm just about to retire (actually in a week!) and while he's my beneficiary for most things marriage is just not in the cards. I have no desire to combine finances that were developed completely separately from him and have no need for his money. We share expenses but live in my house and that will continue.
Maybe it's easier because both my parents and sister are gone now and his family is all in another country? There's no one to please but us...
Now I'm in a relationship of about 20 years - yes, far longer than my marriage! And no, we'll never marry. Neither of us have children but we clearly have well-developed careers and finances. I'm just about to retire (actually in a week!) and while he's my beneficiary for most things marriage is just not in the cards. I have no desire to combine finances that were developed completely separately from him and have no need for his money. We share expenses but live in my house and that will continue.
Maybe it's easier because both my parents and sister are gone now and his family is all in another country? There's no one to please but us...