Is it strange to be a couple long term and never marry?

[Benny91]

As me and my girlfriend are both 33 and are seeing people around our age obviously get married and are feeling strange about it as we’ve been together for 7 years! Is it an absolute societal expectation or norm that if you’re a long term couple that you must marry?

Is there any other couples on here that are in a similar situation to us?

If you are married, what made you want to marry?

It just makes me depressed at the moment that everyone’s getting married and we both don’t know what to do going forward.

A lot of legal/tax matters become easier if you are married. I feel that for women, there is a sense of security from marriage when there are children of the relationship.

yes Which is why is why it is about the legal implications of not getting married and not the moral and religious ones

You are aware of the tax differences aren’t you?

Also if you have a mortgage and your partner dies with assets over 325k including their half of the property tax is due (and there is no delay) you could lose a fair chunk to HMRC and potentially have to sell to cover the bill

I never married engaged twice to two men for a long time.

There is no urgency to get married if yiu are both happy with the arrangement. I know a few couples who don't want to just do whst makes you happy. Good luck