To think instead of raising the legal age we should do this instead

[Marriageisspecial]

There is a private member’s bill going through the commons to raise the legal age to get married from 16 to 18. I currently know two school leavers who have just ‘sat’ (different with covid) their GCSEs who are planning on getting married they are both the same age and they live together ect. I know another 16 year old who is starting an apprenticeship in September and will be earning £12,500 per year. I do also understand the concern over coercion and being married off to much older men. However there are also young couples who may want to get married also situations if one has a terminal illness and wants to marry their girlfriend/boyfriend or a teenage pregnancy. So Aibu to think instead we should adopt the system of Texas where you must apply to the court to get married if you are 16-18 this way we could still protect people but make provision for the above cases?

I don’t understand the link with the apprenticeship?

No 16 year old should be able to get married, personally I don't think 18 is even old enough. This isn't the 1960s you don't marry someone just because they are pregnant.

I expect the cases of forced marriage and similar outnumber the scenarios you outline 100:1. How many cases a year can there be of terminally ill teens wanting to marry their sweethearts? And teen pregnancy... well, having a baby out of wedlock isn't a catastrophe anymore. I'm not sure I understand your concern over this.

I think raising age marriage to 18 is a good idea.

Lol no

What has the apprenticeship got to do with it sorry?

Nothing wrong with it being legal, but I am entirely convinced that 18 is far too young already!

Why would we condone in any way 16 years getting married? What would that bring to anyone at all?

If it's such a serious relationship, it still be there when they reach legal age.

Firstly, no, no children should be allowed to get married.
Secondly, Allow the court to decide? Well, depends on the court. I wouldn’t necessarily trust that process either.
Thirdly, nowhere in the USA is a good example of how to do things when it comes to this issue. Some States have no minimum age. Some can and do allow 12 year olds to marry after a ‘process’ is satisfied. And, some States think that the answer to an adult male getting a minor pregnant is to marry them.
So, no, on balance. Let’s just ban children from getting married. Because in the UK, that is what someone under the age of 18 is. A child.

@Hankunamatata

I think raising age marriage to 18 is a good idea.

I'd make it 21.

However there are also young couples who may want to get married also situations if one has a terminal illness and wants to marry their girlfriend/boyfriend or a teenage pregnancy.

I can just about get the terminal illness as an exceptional circumstance -- but strong no on the teenage pregnancy as a reason for marriage. I grew up with way too many 'shotgun wedding' families to think that's a good idea.

So Aibu to think instead we should adopt the system of Texas where you must apply to the court to get married if you are 16-18 this way we could still protect people but make provision for the above cases

Can those same 16 and 17 year olds also file for divorce? That's a big issue in a some US states that allow child marriages - parents can get their kids into it, and a parent is required to get the child out of it because they can't petition for divorce on their own as a minor.

I married at 18, and that was young enough. If it can't wait 2 years, how is it going to last a lifetime?

No. What does an apprenticeship have to do with getting married. Many rich children have access to what more money than £12k a year and they are still not emotionally capable of entering into a marriage.

No. I still think even 18 is too young to marry. Never mind younger than that. I would support the age being raised to 18.

Also cannot think of anything more regressive than marriage teenage pregnancies. Don’t know the statistics of teenage pregnancy and whether the father of the child and the mother are with each other even 5 years after birth but I image the number is pretty close to zero. Why would you want marriage complicating that.

Texas really isn’t the example to follow.

Children should not be allowed to get married.

I don't think any 16 year old should get married, what's wrong with just living together for a while to see if you really are compatible and the relationship really is going to work. 18 should be the minimum age full stop.

YABU

16 year olds are children, they shouldn’t be getting married. And if they aren’t mature enough to wait 2 years then they’re not mature enough to get married either!

@Pyewackect I was a mum by 21!

I'd make it 21

I'd support that 100%.

And sorry for serial posting but America is a disgusting example for child marriage. Watched a video about a case whereby an 11 year old was married to the may that raped her and she had 6 children by 16 and he cannot be imprisoned because his marriage to her was legal.

Copying ANYTHING Texas (or any other state for that matter) does is never a good idea...

I totally loved my first serious boyfriend, he loved me, we wanted to get married. I thank fuck that we didn't because looking back he was bit of a dick. 18 is still young but at least it's technically/legally adulthood.

These are very rare hypotheticals OP.

I support it.

The reason for me is that the WHO etc say it should be 18. The UK signalling support for this assists them.

It has very little impact in the UK. Very few children getting legally married in the UK at 16. Illegal/ marriages overseas are a different matter and there are already laws.

I think it’s a bit tragic when teenagers want to get married

I don't think children should be able to make decisions of the scale of getting married. None of the examples you give are good reasons for a child to need to marry.

Interesting user name OP