it really makes no sense. you can have someone know them for 3 years while other family has known them 30+ years. so that family outside the wife is pretty much irrelevant. when my dad passed away his wife didn’t like my family. everyone knew that. yet I wanted at least some say in his final arrangements. she could care less what we wanted. i tried to get his death certificate cause she was a known liar. wouldn’t let me only wife & parents can get it. this is what irritates me. I could get my child hood home back and he was willing to sign it over. i have a witness that can collaborate that. however he passed before he could sign the papers. the problem being I talked to a lawyer bout probate process. he said since dad was married when he died his wife would inherit half the property. property she never once set foot on or even in the house. irritating that the only family thats even important is the wife basically to hell with the rest of the family.
Because marriage is a voluntary surrender of individual rights. My spouse has certain powers because I granted them through a binding contract. My sister does not, unless I actively and willingly sign over a power of attorney to her.
Interesting point, but we don’t have the option for different degrees of marriage, that include the other aspects but operate more like marriage does in the other countries cited upthread.
Additionally, the increasing trend (especially among the lower socioeconomic classes) to cohabitate and raise children without marrying throws a kind of weird wrinkle in. Should people who have been together for decades raising kids be treated as practically nothing in the eyes of the law, but someone who got hitched in Vegas two days ago has this deep legal bond?
Moderator Note
CBguy1983z, we prefer that old threads in General Questions only be bumped to add factual information. Since this is mostly opinion, I’m closing this. If you wish to rant about your experiences, you may open another thread in the the BBQ Pit.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator