REALITIES
“Why do we get married? Why does love need national recognition?”
For most people, marriage is a symbolic gesture of lifelong commitment to one another. A promise to stay true to each other, no matter what.
Marriage serves to cement that commitment, which includes serious responsibilities such as the raising of children. Children who are raised in two-parent households are far more likely to succeed and become contributing members of society, based on the statistics.
There are of course people who do not adhere to the thinking that you need marriage to love someone. While that position has its valid points, most people find the act of marriage as a significant life accomplishment.
But there are practical reasons to marry as well, particularly in cases where the government offers benefits for married couples:
1. In cases where adoption is an option for a couple, child protective services often look into the possibility that the child will live in a stable home. This includes the longevity of the adopting couple’s relationship.
For many inspectors, marriage is not necessarily the determining factor for this, but would most often be a good sign.
2. Insurance packages often allow for a dependent to get coverage. This includes children, parents, and spouses. While it is possible to declare a partner as a dependent even if you aren’t married, it isn’t advisable to do so.
3. Parental leaves are government-mandated benefits that parents are entitled to have. However, in some countries, fathers in particular have a hard time availing of such benefits if they are unmarried to their partner. For those that do have the opportunity to avail of such benefits, some countries usually allot less time for the male partners.
4. Bank loans are also one of the perks for a married couple. While marriage is not a requirement for the granting of loans, having two income sources to pay off the loan is usually seen as favorable for banks to grant these loans.
5. Inheritance of assets upon death is a complicated issue. Assets are usually passed down to the heirs of the deceased, meaning their children. Some legislation will allow for inheritance towards the spouse. An unmarried couple will not be entitled to this unless of course there is a will (drafting a will is an expensive process and is often overlooked).
