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All the people that I know that have stayed single are quite happy (myself included). If you can be happy alone, what do you need someone else for? And if you can not be happy alone, no one can "make" you happy.
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I think if a person is content with being single, good for them. You do have to be careful about believing other people when they say things though. People are not always honest. This can be especially true when the "sour grapes" phenomenon is at work.
There are no benefits of marriage as other legal contracts can do pretty much what modern marriage is as others stated here. Basically when you get that government certificate, its a contract between you, the spouse, and the government.
Im not so sure about that. You can get power of attorney and legal contracts for assests, but things such as retirement/SS benfits, insurance benefits, medical decisions, etc. you need a legal marriage.
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For those who think growing old together, and not dying alone, I can recall the Don't Marry Essay which anybody can find all over cyberspace, that a marriage can end at any time be it 25, 30, 35, ... 55, 60, 65, etc. Also dying alone is not valid as who can see/be available to see a dying family member in the hospital 24/7? My ex-girlfriend was a nurse in a hospital and she saw so many people die alone in their hospital beds. I've known plenty of stories people die alone in their homes.
I dont believe anyone is naive enough to believe that marriage guarantees you will never be widowed or divorced, Ive been both. Perhaps all those your ex saw dying alone never married or had families. I was with both my parents when they passed and they with theirs.
Marriage can not only benefit the couple but the extended family as well. If my parents had not married and had a family, my aunt would have no one left to help care for her now.
Im not so sure about that. You can get power of attorney and legal contracts for assests, but things such as retirement/SS benfits, insurance benefits, medical decisions, etc. you need a legal marriage.
No you don't need besides giving retirement/SS benefits to your spouse(in some States) but in my area, I can assign this to any one I co-habbitate with or pretend I co-habbitate as long as I assign their names as beneficences; and that's assuming you have a spouse in your old age when you die and not divorced and broke.
The rest, I gave the power of attorney to my brother and my best friend, both medical and financial, and insurance benefits which I get for free in my career to my brother and my mother equally.I used to have my dad on these but he passed away so I've updated these. Also my will includes my benficially of my brother, my mother and my best friend.
So legally, most or all things can be done with separate contracts like power of attorneys, assigning of beneficences, wills and such.
I've stated my reasons of the benefits of staying single and I'll let you keep debating about single vs. marriage here.
Umm, question: What does owning a condo have to do with whether or not it's better to be single?
If you married and own a condo, and then later on divorce, that divorcing spouse, even if he hardly put any money or none at all to maintaining that condo, is entitled half the value of that condo assets which is considered a matrimonial home. I know a woman who lost her condo and force to sell it by court order and giving half that money sold that a condo to that divorcing husband who hardly did anything or contribute anything. Divorce by default is 50/50.
Oh btw, for those who say get a pre-nup, a divorce court judge can override that if the judge feels the pre-nup is unfair.
If you married and own a condo, and then later on divorce, that divorcing spouse, even if he hardly put any money or none at all to maintaining that condo, is entitled half the value of that condo assets which is considered a matrimonial home. I know a woman who lost her condo and force to sell it by court order and giving half that money sold that a condo to that divorcing husband who hardly did anything or contribute anything.
Oh btw, for those who say get a pre-nup, a divorce court judge can override that if the judge feels the pre-nup is unfair.
If you own a condo free and clear before you are married, it's separate property and does not get split in divorce. So again -- how is owning a condo even remotely relevant to whether it's better to be single?
If you own a condo free and clear before you are married, it's separate property and does not get split in divorce. So again -- how is owning a condo even remotely relevant to whether it's better to be single?
Not if he help pay for any maintenance or upgrades like paying for a replacement window, replacing a cabinet to a better one, painting the whole condo in different color, etc. Even help paid a monthly condo fee or property tax. It might be considered matrimonial home.
You bascially leave yourself for interpretation of a divorce court judge to say who gets what if the divorcing spouse contests. That woman I know, owned that condo before she married and lose half to that ex-husband under a court order.
No you don't need besides giving retirement/SS benefits to your spouse(in some States) but in my area, I can assign this to any one I co-habbitate with or pretend I co-habbitate as long as I assign their names as beneficences; and that's assuming you have a spouse in your old age when you die and not divorced and broke.
I talking about health insurance/auto insurance not life insurance benefits. As far as I know a person must be a spouse or child to be carried on you health insurance. This is one benefit I got when I married as my employer did not offer health benefits.
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No you don't need besides giving retirement/SS benefits to your spouse(in some States) but in my area, I can assign this to any one I co-habbitate with or pretend I co-habbitate as long as I assign their names as beneficences; and that's assuming you have a spouse in your old age when you die and not divorced and broke.
Sorry, I am not following your sentence. Are you saying you can assign SS benefits upon your retirement or death to anyone living with you?
I dont really think single vs. marriage is a debate. It depends on what you want from life. At this point in my life I see no benefit of marriage for me. When I was young, yes. I wanted a husband/father for our children. I wanted someone to share building a life with. In my second marriage I wanted the benefit of medical insurance, combined income, the greater respect of being a couple, someone I thought I would grow old with. Now I have no need for most of those things.
Not if he help pay for any maintenance or upgrades like paying for a replacement window, replacing a cabinet to a better one, painting the whole condo in different color, etc. Even help paid a monthly condo fee or property tax. It might be considered matrimonial home.
You bascially leave yourself for interpretation of a divorce court judge to say who gets what if the divorcing spouse contests. That woman I know, owned that condo before she married and lose half to that ex-husband under a court order.
Answer me this. Do you think a unmarried couple is immune from suing each other if things breakup? And if a lawsuit is initiated, a Judge will not divide property as the Judge deems fit?
There's a lot of sadness and bitterness in this thread ... I've been married 27 years, and I like being married ... I can't imagine not being married ...
I agree and a whole lot of monetary value placed on it....wow...hasn't anybody ever heard the tune "Can't Buy Me Love"?
When you go into a marriage with money in the mix from the start, you have already disenchanted yourselves....
We started out semi broke, went to really broke (stayed home and raised the kids) back to well off again.....and the best times we remember? When we had enough to live on and pay our bills and not much more....sounds crazy? It was called living for the moment and it was very freeing...
Anyways, for those of you who insist on putting a monetary value on your bad marriage, maybe it wasn't for you in the first place..... Call me Miss Pollyanna, but I entered into marriage for love.....
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Answer me this. Do you think a unmarried couple is immune from suing each other if things breakup? And if a lawsuit is initiated, a Judge will not divide property as the Judge deems fit?
