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I'm probably the most cynical person on this board regarding marriage but, there are some advantages (all financial):
Social Security: If you stay married the whole time and your partner kicks off, and they got more SSI than you, you get what they got.
Insurance: No denying that health/dental/vision is important.. it can be a good thing to be able to cover each other.
Medical Emergency: ICU often allows only immediate family in ICU and you wouldn't count as just an LTP (live together partner, what we called them when I worked in psych).
As for Life Insurance, you can name anybody you want to be your beneficiary. Some people name charities even. That doesn't really require you to be married. However, I can get life insurance for a spouse and for my kids through my work. I can't get it for an LTP.
Two incomes. It's tough to buy a house on one income. Since my last divorce, my standard of living has definitely needed to be adjusted. When I go on a medical leave, I'm living on significantly reduced pay, without the safety net of another income. If I get laid off, I'm a couple pay checks away from homeless (although I doubt my family would let that happen).
It is not my experience that men who make less pay more to the wife. Whoever is the non-custodial parent pays child support. In a joint custody situation (like mine), it is totally based on income. My ex pays me a very small amount per week, but if something changes and I make more money than him, I will have to pay him. I know women who pay child support. I don't anybody personally who gets alimony. I think it's becoming more rare. Studies have shown that divorced women experience a greater reduction in standard of living than divorced men. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but it's more commonly true than not.
I had a lot more money when I was married, but then again, I had no say in how it was spent! I have less now, but I get to decide what to do with it.
Overall, the financial benefits weren't worth what I had to put up with.
Dee
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