What can and can’t you get in a marriage that you can and can’t in a relationship?

5 comments

1. Tax benefits. Inheritance. Easier access to hospital in case the partner had an accident, without paperwork beforehand.

   That’s about it.
   It’s a paper thing sorting legal responsibilities.

2. Marriage: You get to change your name, be legally part of another family, and to have rights that you wouldn’t have as de factos.

   For instance, my stepfather married my mother when they discovered he was dying of cancer, because he wanted her to automatically inherit his assets and to be the one who made decisions about his care when he was incapacitated. He had a previous long term de facto partner who wanted to fight my mother for the above assets and rights, so this ensured that my mother would be the one to win.

   I can’t think of anything you can have in a relationship that you can’t have in marriage?

3. From a bitter perspective… Lots of benefits to marriage I’m sure but when things don’t work out it’s a much easier to split in a relationship than a marriage. So glad I never married my ex, least when he left me he wasn’t entitled to anything I had.

4. Marriage grants you this legal family status that makes it easier to acess things like hospital visitation, inheritance, and residence permit/citizenship in the case of international relationships. It can also provide some benefits in the case of taxes and insurance.

   Before gay marriage was legal, sometimes gay couples would have one partner legally adopt the other partner (even though they were both adults) to get these family benefits.

5. Tax breaks. Convenience when travelling. Things feeling more permanent.