Anonymous wrote:All of these are not exclusive to marriage or a given because of marriage alone.
To claim marriage instantly bestows these things is false.
And they also presuppose a good marriage. I’ve been married 20 years; I think there are pros and cons married or single. Probable the only benefit that actual marriage gets you is that your family unit is viewed by society as more legitimate, if that matters to you.
There are some financial things but you can do some of that outside marriage. If we own our home as a married couple, a lawsuit against only one can’t attach to the house. If only one is on title to main residence with a mortgage and dies, a spouse can continue to live there by paying the mortgage (in MD, anyway). Certain rights upon death, like spousal share of estate. Maybe one of you will be entitled to alimony upon divorce. You can take FMLA and sick leave for some jobs for a spouse but not a lover.