
Do couples need to get married to complete their relationships? A story presented on Good Morning America suggests that brides who have been left at the altar report mixed feelings about marriage.
While some people who maintain long-term relationships without marriage (as Joy has for the past 26 years) feel that they can enjoy the same level of commitment as people who do opt to be wed, Elisabeth and Sherri pointed out some practical considerations that may influence one’s decision.
For those whose weddings are religious ceremonies, the practice represents a commitment of faith, which Sherri says is more valuable than a piece of paper. Married couples enjoy spousal privilege in litigation; further, a spouse to whom money is bequeathed after a partner’s death is not subject to estate tax, as children are.
Some states have laws permitting common-law marriage, in which a couple is considered married after living together and performing the actions characteristic of married couples, despite not being united legally.