What marital status am I?

Person_one

heartbreak_star wrote: »

Why should anyone have to get married if they don't want to?

HBS x

This thread is a good example:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5564718

There have been many more over the years that illustrate why its important to be fully informed and aware of what it means to live with someone long term or have children together without being married and what the consequences could be if you separate or when the first one dies. Its not just a piece of paper!

Person_one

Sagz wrote: »

I delight in filling in forms like the with "living in sin"!

I used to like 'living over the brush', I think I'd go with 'Spinster of the Parish' these days .

[Deleted User]

ognum wrote: »

I think your answer could be important. Some employers have death in service benefits and your rely may reflect who they refer to as next of kin in any difficult circumstance.

But if not legally 'married' then you would probably need to fill in a nomination of benefits form anyway. 'Co-Habiting' doesn't actually mean much legally as either of you could walk away at any time if you wanted. The clue is in the words 'Marital Status' as opposed to whatever your personal situation might be

arbroath_lass

If it asks for marital status why not just put "unmarried"?

Kynthia

It depends who is asking and why. However marital status for official things like pensions is only:
Single
Married /Civil Partnership
Divorced
Widowed

Your living arrangements are irrelevant. People often put they are single when they've been divorced a long time which is incorrect and makes a difference in some pensions. Plus some put they are legally separated unaware that in some schemes their ex, who they have been legally separated from for decades, will still get their spouses pension should they die.

Katgrit

I think people are missing the point that the usual question is MARITAL status, not RELATIONSHIP status. If it was asking for relationship status you'd also need options for:

On a break
Still together but I'm planning to end it on Boxing day
Cohabiting but he drunkenly text the barmaid from our local last week so I'm not speaking to him till I get a Pandora charm by way of apology.
Married, but only "for the sake of the kids" who are now both in their 30's and we've had seperate beds since 1987 anyway.
Cohabiting, but if I ever got to meet the girl who does the ITV weather I'd be off like a shot.

If they're asking about your MARITAL status they want to know whether you are married. Probably for tax or pension reasons.

Malthusian

burnoutbabe wrote: »

And then as part of the pension, they ask for marital status (so you have options of married/single/divorced/Widowed). No Life Insurance so no expression of wishes.

The pension will almost certainly have death benefits so an expression of wishes should still be made. If only to ensure the pension trustees don't pay death benefits into your estate, which could mean unnecessary Inheritance Tax.

missbiggles1

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

Then according to the Oxford Dictionary they are not single mothers.

Then they haven't thought it through. Someone who sleeps over every Wednesday and Saturday could be described as a "stable sexual relationship" but it doesn't stop the woman being a single (lone) parent.

Gloomendoom

arbroath_lass wrote: »

If it asks for marital status why not just put "unmarried"?

This would seem to be the most sensible thing to do.

missbiggles1

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

We were together over 25 years before we got married.

I always used to put single as well but as you say reading that definition it is not so clear.

Perhaps it used to mean unmarried but now changed due to so many couples being in relationships?

Interestingly our daughter who is twenty would not call herself single as she is in a relationship and to her single means without a partner.

She seems to be using the expression in the social media sense although it puzzles me how many people of her age use the expression "partner" when basically they're just dating someone.