What is the point of being married?

POPPYOSCAR

OP I envy you.


We have been together nearly 30 years and do not want to be married but unfortunately are going to have to get married this year for financial reasons etc.


We are going to the registry office with just two witnesses and family and friends are not happy with us.


I am dreading it and will hate it.

*~Zephyr~*

wannabe_sybil wrote: »

I think there are inheritance tax implications. I think there is also a widow's/widower's pension only available to married couples.

Widow's pension has been replaced by Bereavement Allowance which is paid for 52 weeks and only if you're under pension age, so once we both reach 67 it won't apply anyway.

wannabe_sybil wrote: »

Also, how well do you get on with each other's family? It isn't unknown for someone to die and their unmarried partner having no say in the funeral arrangements - or even being allowed at the wake at all!

I get on well with his family, but really, funeral arrangements are irrelevant to me.

*~Zephyr~*

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

OP I envy you.


We have been together nearly 30 years and do not want to be married but unfortunately are going to have to get married this year for financial reasons etc.


We are going to the registry office with just two witnesses and family and friends are not happy with us.


I am dreading it and will hate it.

Well you just might have the EXACT answer I'm looking for!! What financial reason is a good enough one to get you to the registry office????

supersaver2

Always seems odd that people go to all kinds of trouble and legal expense to try and get the same rights as married people, quicker and easier to get married and then there are no doubts or having to rely on information from your brother's, neighbour's doctor!

Getting married needn't be expensive or involve parties or presents etc.

[Deleted User]

There's also:

7. Opportunity to visit the local registry office and be questioned by public officials
8. Reason to elope to Vegas! (Would have been cool to do, but we had a regular wedding)
9. A formal way of announcing your long term commitment to the community (and I believe that is one of the main reasons behind weddings)
10. Reduce confusion in future family tree diagrams

But really, it's something nice to do; if all we ever do in life is the stuff that is solely required of us then it could be a bit boring

sulphate

I have an occupational pension. If I die in service, a tax free lump sum is paid to my husband and he would also receive a pension for life.

This is guaranteed as we are married but it is not guaranteed to non married couples.

GwylimT

I don't see the point, we didn't want to get married and it isn't somethinf that interests us, we just did it as it made it easier for her to adopt our son otherwise we wouldn't have bothered.

*~Zephyr~*

7. Opportunity to visit the local registry office and be questioned by public officials - Arrrrggghhhhh!!!! Horrific thought!!
8. Reason to elope to Vegas! - Now THAT I could get on board with!!! Vegas baby!!
9. A formal way of announcing your long term commitment to the community (and I believe that is one of the main reasons behind weddings) - No. I have no desire to broadcast my love for him to the wider community. The wider community can mind it's own business!! We're far too private a couple for that.

System

If you cant see the point then don't. You seem to have all bases covered where legalities are concerned.

When I married my husband I wont say that love didn't come into it but he pushed me and pushed me into marriage and I'd always said that if married again it would be to someone who proved to me how much he loved me (whereas I married my ex for a different set of reasons). Oh and I wanted to continue my family. I was bought up to believe it was shameful to have children if you weren't married.

Of course now, if I was single my reasonings would be slightly different. My family is now complete. It would be for love and love (yes a romantic type of love) only.

*~Zephyr~*

I'm going to watch this case with interest, because I think we'd be more likely to have a civil partnership than a marriage:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30586950