MrBishop said:Is it stronger if its marriage and not common-law?
See...I know a couple that have bee together for 27 years. Nice pair. Loving, caring, fun-loving people. I love hanging with them. They have a son...he's 25 now..nice kid. We've had coffee on a few occasions. This couple V&G go on vacations together, work together (albeit different shifts), have a nice new condo, used to own an antique shoppe, they're often out having dinner, or goign to movies now that their son has moved out. They're coming to my BBQ.
They're not married though. Care to guess why not?
I never said it was stronger...but common-law people have never taken a VOW to be together forever...I realize that if they split they stilll have to divide assets blah blah blah but I don't see it as as binding as marriage...no vows were taken...but the two people have lived together long enough that the government figures they share money and such so they are then commonlaw. I guess in today's society I can see WHY a lot of people see no difference because a lot of people don't see marriage as being sacred...a lot of people when they say "til death do us part" MEAN "til death do us part or I find someone better to run off with" *I* however take marriage VERY seriously. I see it as a promise that I make in front of my friends and family, in front of the person I love and I see it as a paper I sign FOR LIFE. That is why I will not get married without living with a person, why I will not get married until I am done school, why I will not get married until I have SEEN that I can live with a person with the life I am aiming for a few years from now...the way my life is right now will not be how I am living my life in 3 years. If someone only wanted to live commonlaw I would just see it as they do not love me enough to make a PROMISE to me in front of all the important people in our lives. I know i'm in a MINORITY in this day and age...but, those vows are something I hold dear and will mean will all my heart when I do say them. Commonlaw doesn't have that. I guess in short I see marriage as promising forever and commonlaw as kinda "well, I dunno...but for right now this is what I want..."
And, I'd venture to guess your friends never got married and just lived common law cause they saw no difference in it