Marriage Alternatives for Everyone
Marrying
without Government Involvement
Marriage is really two things. First is a religious experience. Religion is about faith and has nothing to do with government regulations. Second, it is about shared loved and the desire to remain with another and the understanding that each of you will share life's pleasures and pains together.
Lately, we have heard about people fighting for the legal option to marry. The marriage we hear being fought for has nothing to do with religion or love. It is about a government contract. The signing of a document (a contract) that is filed with the State that says your married. This contract is a typical "one-stop and shop" agreement that is never explained to you. The government marriage contract you sign puts you and your spouse at the mercy of legislators who each year in Florida come up with new laws to regulate us including marriage laws. It also binds you to the government if things should ever change - a little thing we hear a lot about called "divorce."
Yes, yes, yes. This contract makes certain legal issues automatic. For instance, if a state-contracted married couple buys a house the house is equally theirs regardless of whose name is on the mortgage. Same goes for a car or furniture. It also allows the state-contracted couple to claim certain tax labels such as head of household, etc. It does not convey parental rights - that applies regardless of marriage.
This is all well and good but what happens when you decide "oops! I think we made a mistake." If you have ever been through a divorce you already know how painful it is and how costly. And what if you want to get married but the law says you can't sign that state created marriage contract? This could be due to both people being the same sex. Gay marriage is not legal.
Why the State Contract is not Worth the Effort
A state-contract marriage does one thing horribly wrong. It minimizes the thought process. People getting married have no idea what the legal implications are when they sign that government contract. They don't realize that the property they have before marriage is now equally divided from the date of the marriage forward. They are often shocked when they divorce at what the true implications were when they married.
Getting married for gay couples and getting out of a marriage for all couples is either impossible or a devastating event because we have lazily allowed our government to take it over. This doesn't have to be the case. In fact, it should be kept out of the government's all together.
Let's get back to what marriage is really all about...
Isn't marriage really about religious values and/or love. It's about wanting to be involved with each other for the rest of your lives - the commitment is that strong. Since when did we have to have the government involved in that? Parental rights today do not require marriage. Tax breaks are non-existent. The only thing that government has done is create a method by which the government taxes you with costs and filing fees and tracking you for the rest of your lives. Being a couple should involve only the two of you.
ALTERNATIVE MARRIAGE
All the "benefits" accomplished blindly with a state contract can be achieved with alternatively through legal documents that already exist. The thing about an alternative marriage is that you will be a stronger couple because all details that are glossed over in a government marriage contract are gone over in detail with each of you. Property rights are explained in advance - health care issues are discussed - financial responsibilities and sharing are explained. All these issues are discussed so that each person has a full understanding of what will happen.
Moreover, if the marriage should fail there is no need to get the state involved. You will not have to wait for a judge to decide "if you can" be divorced. You will not have a public record open to all - telling the world you were divorced. The legal documentation can be rescinded/revoked without the need of court involvement. Issues with property rights don't change whether you have a government marriage or a real marriage.
Divorces are expensive. You have to pay a lawyer (or lawyers), pay for mandated mediation, pay filing fees, pay for a trial if necessary. This is all money that could be better spent.
Don't think that this is just for people with the legal disability of not being allowed to marry. This is for everyone. Decide the date, buy the rings, send out the invitations. A marriage will occur with all the festivities and ceremony of a traditional marriage. And that is the key - it is a traditional marriage, the marriage of old before government got involved and told us how to be in love or how to practice our religion.
Call us for more information on the Alternative Marriage.
(407) 841-5555.
