The idea of abolishing marriage as a legal entity essay

Thought Paper Number 1-The Idea of Abolishing Marriage as a Legal Entity “ Marriage is one of the most important experiences of a person’s life, but like any legal process, it can get complicated. (How Marriage Works). “ When you need license to do something it means either people in general are not mature enough to do it or it needs special skills, which are to be tested before you can be allowed to do it. So, if you have license to do something, it means you are different and special from the rest of the herd. ” (What is a marriage license).

Since it is obvious that there are no special skills needed for marriage, it is safe to assume that maturity is the issue at hand. Allowing people of any age to marry would be preposterous. For example, girls in foreign countries such as India and Afghanistan traditionally wed before their twelfth birthday. Many of these relationships proved to be hostile to the girls involved. The United States has enough domestic violence with age requirements on marriage. We don’t need to add the element of adding no age requirement to marriage. The idea of abolishing marriage as a legal entity is foolish. Doing so would be like attempting to recreate the heavens and earth.

Just to name a few legal benefits married people receive that single people do not…Tax benefits such as filing joint tax returns, the ability to receive Medicare, Social Security, disability and veteran’s benefits for a spouse, and discount or family rates for auto, health and homeowners insurance. To begin with…Tax returns. Married people not only receive a higher standard deduction, they also have the option to file one of two ways.

If you are married you have the option of “ married filing jointly” of “ married filing separately. ”. “ Filing separately is like filing when you were single but many deductions and tax incentives for the government get cut in half. ” (Is it better to claim single or married for taxes? ). If you and your spouse decide to file a joint return, your tax may be lower than your combined tax for the other filing statuses. Also, your standard deduction (if you do not itemize deductions) may be higher, and you may qualify for tax benefits that do not apply to other filing statuses. Is it better to claim single or married for taxes? Although only married taxpayers may file jointly, if the individuals are separated and living apart, they may still file a joint return”. (Is it better to claim single or married for taxes? ).

However, if a husband and wife are legally separated, they are not considered to be married, and a joint return may not be filed. ” (The Dilemma: Married Filing Jointly vs. Separately). It’s true for most twosomes that reductions on auto insurance will transpire immediately after you tie the knot, provided you advise your representative. While you run the risk of experiencing higher payments for adding a spouse with an unstable driving record to your own policy, the chances for responsible married drivers to save money are substantial. Today, health insurance has become so expensive that we are discovery many couples marrying to share company run health insurance policies.

“ In a poll conducted this spring by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy research group, 7 percent of adults said someone in their household had married in the past year to gain access to insurance. The foundation cautions that the number should not be taken literally, but rather as an intriguing indicator that some Americans “ are making major life decisions on the basis of health care concerns. ” (Health Benefits Inspire a Rush to the Altar, or to Divorce Court).

Upon the death of a spouse, if the deceased spouse had a higher Social Security benefit than the surviving spouse, there will be a modification to the surviving spouse’s benefit to equal to the higher amount. The new amount will be automatically sent in the next Social Security payment. As long as the working spouse is at least 62 years old and has worked for at least 10 years in Medicare-covered employment, his spouse is eligible to receive Medicare A and B upon reaching age 65 or full retirement age, as determined by their employment agreement. A spouse can receive up to 50 percent of the amount of the retiring worker’s benefit amount. Also, it is possible for the spouse to claim benefits before reaching the full retirement age, but the amount of benefits will be permanently altered. ” (Medicare Spouse Benefits).

“ Social Security is a contract between the U. S. government and its working citizens to provide for retirement benefits upon reaching a set retirement age. Social Security also manages disability benefits for citizens who are unable to work, and like the retirement benefits, there are benefits available to spouses. Spousal benefits, like retirement awards, are based on the working spouse’s employment record. If you become disabled, you are eligible for 50 percent of the benefit calculated on your spouse’s work history if you are 62 years of age or older. (Social Security Disability Benefits for a Spouse). Joint tax returns, insurance benefits, Medicare, Social Security, and disability benefits are only a few examples of the benefits you receive by marriage being a legal entity.

There are so many more financial considerations to marriage being a legal contract. Other than states deciding who can and who cannot get married under the law, marriage can’t be considered anything other than a legal agreement. With individuals being allowed to marry just to save on their premiums or to be eligible for a corporate insurance policy, it is clear that marriage is a clear contractual agreement. There, of course, can be and usually is, love involved in a marriage, but most individuals would not waste the time and the enormous amount of money spent on a wedding ceremony if the only benefit was a party and their loved one promising in front of God and their friends to love them for the rest of their lives with no legal agreement to hold them to it. Works Cited “ The Dilemma: Married Filing Jointly vs.

Separately. ” The Dilemma: Married Filing Jointly vs. Separately. 29 Oct. 2012 < http://www. cpa2biz. com/Content/media/PRODUCER_CONTENT/Newsletters/Articles_2008/CPA/Nov/Separately. jsp>.

How Marriage Works. ” HowStuffWorks. 29 Oct. 2012 < http://www. howstuffworks. com/marriage.

htm>. “ Is it better to claim single or married for taxes? ” Is it better to claim single or married for taxes? 29 Oct. 2012 < http://askville. amazon. com/claim-single-married-taxes/AnswerViewer.

do? requestId= 829008>. Sack, Kevin. “ Health Benefits Inspire a Rush to the Altar, or to Divorce Court. ” The New York Times. 13 Aug. 2008. The New York Times. 29 Oct.

2012 < http://www. nytimes. com/2008/08/13/us/13marriage. html? pagewanted= all>. Skipper, Charli.

“ Medicare Spouse Benefits. ” EHow. 03 Aug.