The Marriage License...

I hear what everyone is saying..The benefits of the legal contract..in this world..outweigh not having it. Ok..I get it..just a way to register the lineage and legal rights of a family.. no real purpose other than to separate assets at time of dissolution or death. It is, in essence a safety net for each person involved in the contract.

And I understand that without one, me and my SO would be risking a lot of those benefits if we never took any actions to protect against the obvious ones. If we never made out Final Will and Testaments, never put all property/assets in both names..if we continued to operate as separate entities instead of one unit.

With that being said.. I still do not want a marriage license to spoil the ceremonious act of being wed. But, I am a law abiding citizen..so, I will abide by what is legal and binding in the eyes of the state. (mainly because I have not found any way so far to bypass it and still be recognized as a married couple) My solution to keeping the act of marriage sacred is to perform and celebrate the wedding ceremony prior to getting the license...and treating the marriage license as trivial and meaningless...is that a possibility?

I haven't found any information about doing that one way or another...


Thanks,
blend57

originally posted by: dogstar23
a reply to: blend57

In other words, you have every right to get married without paying for a license or having it affect anything legally to do with government, taxes, legal statuses, etc.

Umm, but it does affect those things. It puts you in a different tax bracket, for example, because you are a legal corporation, your income is considered combined, not individually. (This is the "marriage penalty") It affects your rights as to property, ownership, parental rights, and inheritance. If you are legally married, i.e.: with a license that is recorded, this stuff is automatic. if you aren't, you have to prove it if it comes down to that. You can take care of this stuff with a legal contract and accomplish the same things, but it's going to cost a whole lot more than a marriage license to make the contract legal and recorded. That's why your statement that it is the best bang for the buck is absolutely correct.

a reply to: blend57

Where I work when folks want to be married there is a 'loophole'
If they marry 'legally' they will lose their benefits (State etc.)

We have a couple of folks on staff who are officiates of one sort or another.

They have a ceremony and are wed in the eyes of everyone who matters to them including themselves.
There is no license and it is just as significant and beautiful as if it would be if I knew they had stopped by the court house on their way.

TNMockingbird

That sounds like what I would want..um..more pure and from the heart..not about anything other than the feelings that two people share..it is the perfect way for me.

Of course, I am only one part of the equation..still have to make sure my SO is on board..but that would be the kind of ceremony I would choose to have.. still a lot to work out and research..but hopefully I can find a way..

Thanks for your thoughts and input..offer me some hope..

thanks,
blend57

originally posted by: blend57
...and treating the marriage license as trivial and meaningless...is that a possibility?

But that's the thing. The license IS trivial and meaningless - until you need it for something down the road. I don't even remember actually getting the license, but I remember our wedding ceremony like it was yesterday (it was 17 years ago).

a reply to: blend57

You know, I forgot the most important thing

Congratulations on finding someone that you love and want to be with

I hope that no matter what road you both choose to take (in the business of it), together, that it is filled with happiness and contentment and that you enjoy many many years together.

We should all be so fortunate.