Here is my attempt to look at the institution of marriage as arbitrarily as possible... I will try to keep the fact that the vast majority of my family has been divorced not skew my view too much.
First, a little movie clip to get us in the right frame of mind...
Speech impediments rock.
Now, I do not want this to turn into a religious debate because there is no argument when it comes to someone's faith. Instead, I will focus on the more secular aspects of marriage.
Why people should get married:
1) Sharing Employer Sponsored Healthcare
This is a pretty common one. Sharing benefits is definitely an advantage over a couple that is not contractually married.
2) Filing Taxes
I stole this from another website: According to a Congressional Budget Office analysis, 51% of married couples paid less filing jointly than they would have filing alone as singles, saving an average of $1,300. Interestingly, the more disparate their incomes, the more they saved. Of course, the benefit decreases if you earn a very similar income to your spouse, like 40% of dual-income couples today.
3) Spousal Rights
As a married couple, you have more rights to be with your spouse in times of crisis such as at a hospital. This is a subtle Pro over couples that are not married.
4) Death and transition of assets/taxes
In a marriage, when a spouse dies wrongfully, the partner can sue for wrongful death. Also, there is never an estate tax when assets are passed between spouses.
5) Kids... the true life long commitment
I used to think that getting married was important for the sole reason of having kids. Why else would someone sign a life long contract without a life long responsibility? But the truth is that a marriage and kids does not make it any different as far as keeping a successful relationship. I will say that it is more socially acceptable to be married with kids and it is also socially easier when the children have the same last name as the parents.
Why people should NOT get married:
1) Hard to find happy marriages
This isn't quantitative at all but there are not many marriages in this world that I want my relationship to emulate. In the absence of solid examples of success, how can one hope to achieve? A good marriage is rare. When you finally say "I do," will you be one of the lucky ones? Statistics say no.
2) Divorce Repercussions
Simply put: the fear of divorce. Based on what I have seen, divorce is one of the most crippling events in life as far as financials are concerned. When you get married, you enter into a three-way contract: you, your spouse, and the state. When you want to break that contract, lawyers swoop in at exorbitant rates to help you get all that you can... which ends up being much less after the lawyers fee. Children become bargaining chips in custody battles and child support/alimony arrangements.
Overall, do the benefits of marriage outweigh the repercussions of divorce? I would say no... but then marriage isn't a logical decision - it is about love. But, as Ambrose Pierce defined love in The Devil's Dictionary: "Love is temporary insanity cured by marriage."
1) Sharing Employer Sponsored Healthcare
This is a pretty common one. Sharing benefits is definitely an advantage over a couple that is not contractually married.
2) Filing Taxes
I stole this from another website: According to a Congressional Budget Office analysis, 51% of married couples paid less filing jointly than they would have filing alone as singles, saving an average of $1,300. Interestingly, the more disparate their incomes, the more they saved. Of course, the benefit decreases if you earn a very similar income to your spouse, like 40% of dual-income couples today.
3) Spousal Rights
As a married couple, you have more rights to be with your spouse in times of crisis such as at a hospital. This is a subtle Pro over couples that are not married.
4) Death and transition of assets/taxes
In a marriage, when a spouse dies wrongfully, the partner can sue for wrongful death. Also, there is never an estate tax when assets are passed between spouses.
5) Kids... the true life long commitment
I used to think that getting married was important for the sole reason of having kids. Why else would someone sign a life long contract without a life long responsibility? But the truth is that a marriage and kids does not make it any different as far as keeping a successful relationship. I will say that it is more socially acceptable to be married with kids and it is also socially easier when the children have the same last name as the parents.
Why people should NOT get married:
1) Hard to find happy marriages
This isn't quantitative at all but there are not many marriages in this world that I want my relationship to emulate. In the absence of solid examples of success, how can one hope to achieve? A good marriage is rare. When you finally say "I do," will you be one of the lucky ones? Statistics say no.
2) Divorce Repercussions
Simply put: the fear of divorce. Based on what I have seen, divorce is one of the most crippling events in life as far as financials are concerned. When you get married, you enter into a three-way contract: you, your spouse, and the state. When you want to break that contract, lawyers swoop in at exorbitant rates to help you get all that you can... which ends up being much less after the lawyers fee. Children become bargaining chips in custody battles and child support/alimony arrangements.
Overall, do the benefits of marriage outweigh the repercussions of divorce? I would say no... but then marriage isn't a logical decision - it is about love. But, as Ambrose Pierce defined love in The Devil's Dictionary: "Love is temporary insanity cured by marriage."
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