Benefits of Marriage Over Cohabitation

Marriage continues to be the most accepted solution even after ever so many centuries, but it is no more the only option. This is especially relevant in the context of the UK, where cohabitation has grown by more than double the rate over the past fifteen years. Apart from cohabitation, there is also the option of living in, which is somewhat different as a concept from cohabitation, though they sound almost similar.

What is Live-in?

The term live-in relation became popular during the late 1980s. It replaced another term, 'live together', which meant the same thing but was less specific. Live-in signifies that two adults are sharing the same roof and makes it a stronger bondage. The intimate connotations of the relation also became more explicit as well as more acceptable. By the end of the century, this had become as important as marriage in some cases. The importance of cohabitation has risen strongly in Britain, and it usually implies more commitment than live-ins. Couples are drawing up cohabitation agreements making it almost as good as marriage, and are undergoing separations that are nevertheless termed as divorce, though they did not get married in the first place! Live-in relations can be of shorter time span than a cohabitation, and being separate legal terms, the rules applying to them are also different. The cohabitation agreement creates a strong legal base for the unmarried couple, and empowers them more than live-in partners. However, there is a lot of muddiness in the legalities still in the context of non-marital relations in the UK, and reforms have been under discussion for some time now.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Marriage

Why do people get married - and why do they refrain from it? Let us weigh some of the pros and cons of marriage in the discussion below, and bring out the advantages and disadvantages of live-ins by default.

Marriage is definitely more secure when it comes to legalities. We just have to accept it till our legal system grows up enough to judge the importance of non-marital relations and take them more seriously in general. On the other hand, divorce is legally more complicated in the case of marriage precisely because it already has a set of rigid and standardised laws on property, assets and money. This is what makes many couples go in for an out-of-court settlement to solve their financial issues with more dignity.

Marriage is also more accepted by all religions. Over 70% of the couples in the UK would like to keep their family matters away from religion, as these are considered widely to be separate areas in the private lives of people.

The majority of the people in England are Christians, and Christianity still considers live-ins as living in sin. This is not a major popular influence anymore, but is nevertheless a point in favour of marriage.

Marriage also means commitment. It is then up to the individual to judge whether this is a negative or a positive quality. Some people want to enjoy their personal freedom and do not want to get bogged down into following the straight and narrow course of only one amorous relationship. There are others who feel that marriage, even if it is otherwise irrelevant, is a very good gesture of their commitment.

Marriage makes several laws pertaining to matters such as inheritance much simpler as there are already rules that apply automatically in situations such as the death of one partner without a valid will or winning of a lottery. In the case of live-ins, any monetary decision will have to be delineated clearly and separate legal provisions made accordingly. On the other hand, this also reduces chances of economic exploitation by one partner, which is often the case in marriage.

Is Live-in Better?

It is probably too late in the day to sit in moral judgement over what is more 'healthy' for the society at large - marriage or live-ins. But it is a fact that the growing popularity of alternate forms of sharing lives has had a profound effect on every aspect of life.

Divorce - The Main Fear

It is true that divorce is one of the greatest fears that stops couples from tying the knot. On the other hand, many people do not want to get married on ideological grounds, or because it is not relevant for them.

About The Author:
James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you would like more information on how to get a quickie Divorce see http://www.quickie-divorce.com

Tags: DIVORCE, DIVORCE ADVICE, DIVORCE UK, QUICK, AFFORDABLE

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Title:	Benefits of Marriage Over Cohabitation
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Benefits of Marriage Over Cohabitation