Benefits of marriage

[blesssedd]

Can we have a post that lists the wide ranging benefits of marriage?

I'll start - If you have children you will all have the same surname.

Hahahahahaha
Nope
News flash: you don't have to change your surname after you get married and you can give your children whatever surname you want.
Of all the benefits of marriage, that is not one!
so YABU.

@honeylulu

Having a wedding and enjoying your day is a valid response.

So many questions OP...

@AnotherEmma

I stand corrected. I was going to start with something like how it means you are making a declaration or your lifelong commitment to that person and to make and stand by your vows on your wedding day, but thought that would probably be picked up by other posters.

Interestingly it hasn't been the primary theme as I thought it may have been.

Is that ok?

Having someone at your side who always has your back.
God forbid anything happened to either of us the admin will be more straightforward for the surviving partner
Slightly more financial security and certainty.
Neither of us can just walk away easily - we're legally and morally committed to making marriage work.

Name changing on marriage is ridiculous and since I've thought that since childhood! I vowed never to be a chattel. I have my name, my children have my name. My grandson has DD's name.

Is that ok?

It's questionable

Your partner doesn’t have to leave the country when their student/work/etc visa comes to an end

Pensions
More difficult to split up can mean you work out problems rather than go your separate ways.

This is a good response.

Odd thread. Are you married or considering it?

There is someone else to eat the burnt toast.

The thread is already peppered with misinformation. From the OP onwards.

Perhaps start with a Marriage: True or False thread.

Marriage doesn’t matter so much until something goes wrong, like you separate or die.

OP, I'm another who is married but has kept my name - like MANY of my friends (I'm sure PP's 90% statistics are including many pensioner couples in the data, IMO name-changing is very old fashioned...)

The legal benefits have been really highlighted to me after a friend lost her DP very suddenly, very young last year. They were a trendy non-conformist couple who didn't vibe with marriage. They have 2 young kids. He died intestate and she had to go to his parents on her knees to beg for help at the worst moment of her life... Just awful.

That aside though, I had nothing practical on my mind when I got married - DH did the most amazing romantic proposal and I felt super in love and delighted to 'make it official'. We had a chill, lovely wedding that fit our budget and, although neither of us are Christian, it was very meaningful to us both make those vows.

I still love DH dearly and I love the stability that marriage gives to our family. We have our shit times (like everyone) and it's a reason not to bolt for the door.

More legal rights over property.
Ability to transfer some tax free personal allowance.
Simplifies inheritance.
It's a commitment where living together isn't.
We lived together 12 years before marriage but did it before having children (no names were changed).

Married Tax Allowance -

"Marriage Allowance lets you transfer £1,260 of your Personal Allowance to your husband, wife or civil partner.

This reduces their tax by up to £252 in the tax year (6 April to 5 April the next year).

To benefit as a couple, you (as the lower earner) must normally have an income below your Personal Allowance - this is usually £12,570."

(N.B I'm married but do not have the same surname)

Not married.

Not sure if I'm considering it.

NOK has no legal meaning. This one always comes up! There are no laws around this and you can nominate anyone you want
Yes, I have come across this, it seems to me that people conflate next of kin and duty of care, ie they believe that you have a legal obligation to fund or care for someone if they are your next of kin!

A spouse is the beneficiary up to a certain amount. Then they get half the rest. Any children get the other half split equally.

Neither you nor your DP need to be married to change your name. You could both change to hyphenated names, make up a combined name, he could change his to yours and vice versa, all irrespective of marital status. And you could then give whatever surname you liked to your kids.

The legal benefits have been really highlighted to me after a friend lost her DP very suddenly, very young last year. They were a trendy non-conformist couple who didn't vibe with marriage. They have 2 young kids. He died intestate and she had to go to his parents on her knees to beg for help at the worst moment of her life... Just awful.

Legalities do need sorting. A Will, name on house deeds, named beneficiary on pension , life insurance etc all need sorting if not married.

£325,000. But you can use your spouse’s if he/she doesn’t use it.

So married couple. Husband leaves entire £300,000 estate to his wife - no IHT whether married or not.

However, wife the leaves her £600,000 estate to her beloved niece Susan. Still no IHT as husband’s unused £325,000 exemption is added to her £325,000 so no IHT until £650,000.

This also applies to civil partners.

All the practical and legal differences between cohabitation and marriage are listed here:
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/living-together-marriage-and-civil-partnership/living-together-and-marriage-legal-differences/

I've been married twice. Took first husbands surname, kept it, gave it to my children, and then gave it to my second husband as well 😁 So yes the whole name thing is the least important thing about marriage.

It makes admin easier around houses and money stuff. You can sort it without marriage if you can arsed. Marriage is a cheaper and easier way though.