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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Why do many people still get married in 2025 ??

124 replies

joseline · 21/11/2025 14:09

marriage is literally tying yourself to somebody else and signing a contract to live and share a bed with someone who is not guaranteed to have your back in any circumstances.

my parents have been married for decades before divorcing and she always expresses to me that she wished she divorced sooner.

here are some example of their interactions. Sometimes my mom would nag over nothing. About things that aren’t a big deal. Something stupid like not closing the toilet bowl, forgetting to then off the heater or the cars wheels slightly touching the grass and she would nag about it and it would cause my dad to fly off the handle. Whenever they could get into big arguments it would get Nasty. My dad would throw the most hurtful words at us and would even throw stuff. And then silent treatment for days. And afterwards there would be no apology.

they gradually go back to interacting normally as if nothing happened. This was a pattern. Not a rare occurrence.

they are now divorced. And in my family in general there is either been divorces or my aunt would talk about the times their husbands cheated or
even gave them STDs.

it baffles me that many women still chose to get married. And even more shocking. They choose to get married to the most jacked up dude possible that has the type of hands that could kill you if they smacked you. No weapons needed.

why do many of you still choose marriage ?

OP posts:
MySilentLions · 21/11/2025 14:59

joseline · 21/11/2025 14:48

Hard to believe there is such a thing as true love in marriage. It feels true until you get ill and have to be hospitalised and they dump you in your worst possible time.

Aah, this makes me so sad to read. That this is your view.
It’s not like that for everyone.

My Mum became very unwell. Dad visited every day, stayed as long as allowed, held her hand, chatted, made her laugh, then went home and took care of the house, her washing, back again next day with a little treat from the bakers or her favourite magazine.

They loved each other equally, respectfully and fully for 60 years.

They gave me a great model of a relationship to strive for. I didn’t marry until my late 30’s because no one until DH matched up to what I wanted.

Many marriages can be lifelong happiness. Your family sounds particularly unhappy and bleak.

And of course, the legal protection is important, particularly if one, usually the woman, stays home for a while to raise children.

Dolorsy · 21/11/2025 15:00

It's because when you have small children it's very difficult to work. If you marry, the higher earner, who is usually the man because having babies is physically demanding and cuts in on your productivity, can support you both. Of course he can say anything he likes to you, but if you marry, at least some financial protection is yours by law.

Women should marry before they have children, to help secure them. Having children makes you vulnerable. Not forever, but it's worth understanding this.

If you're a woman and also the higher earner it's probably a bad idea, as in this scenario you take on all the risk and get no benefit.

Swiftasthewind · 21/11/2025 15:02

I pity any woman who chooses to engage in the farce of matrimony in this day and age, though I wonder whether I should given how prevalent feminist academics who warn women about the consequences of entering such a toxic agreement are. Perhaps in some way they have nobody but to blame but themselves.

MySilentLions · 21/11/2025 15:03

joseline · 21/11/2025 14:54

I mean half of the assets.

So, not just “your” shit but half of what you BOTH accumulated during the marriage, surely? Hmm So should be equally split?

Swiftasthewind · 21/11/2025 15:03

MySilentLions · 21/11/2025 14:59

Aah, this makes me so sad to read. That this is your view.
It’s not like that for everyone.

My Mum became very unwell. Dad visited every day, stayed as long as allowed, held her hand, chatted, made her laugh, then went home and took care of the house, her washing, back again next day with a little treat from the bakers or her favourite magazine.

They loved each other equally, respectfully and fully for 60 years.

They gave me a great model of a relationship to strive for. I didn’t marry until my late 30’s because no one until DH matched up to what I wanted.

Many marriages can be lifelong happiness. Your family sounds particularly unhappy and bleak.

And of course, the legal protection is important, particularly if one, usually the woman, stays home for a while to raise children.

Sadly your father will have had some skeletons in his closet that you never knew about, they always do.

bozzabollix · 21/11/2025 15:05

You’ve viewed the very worst model of marriage.

We’ve had a difficult week of illness and pet loss, we’ve talked about it all and worked together to make decisions. Would I have wanted to do it alone? Nope.

If I have a shit time now I want my husband around. We’re a unit. But then have quite an old fashioned attitude to marriage that you stick with it through any ups and downs. I do agree that with some people now the marriage contract isn’t exactly committed to, and if that’s the case what’s the point?

RosesAndHellebores · 21/11/2025 15:05

@joseline I met DH 37 years ago tomorrow. It was instantaneous and we haven't been apart much since our second date. We will celebrate our 35th anniversary next summer. I love him a little more each day. He is honest, moral, kind, hard working. We entered marriage with no doubts. Every night he reaches for my hand before we go to sleep and tells me he loves me and does the same when he wakes up.

I'm not saying he doesn't have his quirks and grumbles nor me mine, but marriage is a journey.

bozzabollix · 21/11/2025 15:07

Swiftasthewind · 21/11/2025 15:03

Sadly your father will have had some skeletons in his closet that you never knew about, they always do.

They don’t always. What a bleak view.

RosesAndHellebores · 21/11/2025 15:07

Swiftasthewind · 21/11/2025 15:03

Sadly your father will have had some skeletons in his closet that you never knew about, they always do.

What an inappropriate assumption based on zero evidence.

surprisebaby12 · 21/11/2025 15:08

I got married this year. I think it’s an important foundation for building a family. You are connected in all ways and truly united. In today’s culture of convenience and disposability, I think making that commitment and acting on it every day with the right partner is a really positive thing.

Swiftasthewind · 21/11/2025 15:09

bozzabollix · 21/11/2025 15:07

They don’t always. What a bleak view.

Experience says otherwise. Every person I have ever known has had a father who failed them or their mother in some way. Granted it could be just British men, I have a Ethiopian friend and her father seems like a decent chap.

MySilentLions · 21/11/2025 15:09

Swiftasthewind · 21/11/2025 15:03

Sadly your father will have had some skeletons in his closet that you never knew about, they always do.

I can assure you he doesn’t. How rude to assume that about a gentle, kind, soul you know nothing about.

I’m a feminist and fully aware of the issues we face as women, but I will not turn into someone who Hates All Men when my father (and my husband and son) prove there are still decent, kind, honest, honourable, family loving men around. They do exist, sorry if you haven’t been lucky enough to have them in your life.

Abracadabrador · 21/11/2025 15:12

For the reasons noted on the website below.
Personally I wanted my husband to legally be my family. The love, honour and cherishing bit is brilliant too. If someone picks a spouse who enhances their life, makes everything easier and fun, marriage is great.

That's the whole point - life enhancement and financial security.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/living-together-marriage-and-civil-partnership/living-together-and-marriage-legal-differences/

Living together and marriage - legal differences

Differences between how the law treats married and cohabiting couples including financial matters, responsibility for children and housing.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/living-together-marriage-and-civil-partnership/living-together-and-marriage-legal-differences/

JudgeBread · 21/11/2025 15:12

Guess I'm in the minority in that I married my husband because I love him and we wanted to make that commitment to eachother.

joseline · 21/11/2025 15:13

MySilentLions · 21/11/2025 15:09

I can assure you he doesn’t. How rude to assume that about a gentle, kind, soul you know nothing about.

I’m a feminist and fully aware of the issues we face as women, but I will not turn into someone who Hates All Men when my father (and my husband and son) prove there are still decent, kind, honest, honourable, family loving men around. They do exist, sorry if you haven’t been lucky enough to have them in your life.

I am not at all offended. I wouldn’t be surprised if my father has some of those dark secrets. Men are scary species.

OP posts:
FlyingApple · 21/11/2025 15:14

Lots of reasons but for me it was to provide a family unit for our children and for financial security.

My husband really is a wonderful man too.

Swiftasthewind · 21/11/2025 15:14

MySilentLions · 21/11/2025 15:09

I can assure you he doesn’t. How rude to assume that about a gentle, kind, soul you know nothing about.

I’m a feminist and fully aware of the issues we face as women, but I will not turn into someone who Hates All Men when my father (and my husband and son) prove there are still decent, kind, honest, honourable, family loving men around. They do exist, sorry if you haven’t been lucky enough to have them in your life.

Did you know everything about him? Why don’t you ask the thousands of women on here who thought their father was the sun that lit the entire sky, until one day they discovered a secret so heinous, it turned their life upside down.

Or their husband…

Or even their son…

Perhaps your father really was an angel who never hurt a soul, I never even met the bloke so how would I know? But how many men can truly make that claim?

SkibiddyRizz · 21/11/2025 15:14

Swiftasthewind · 21/11/2025 15:03

Sadly your father will have had some skeletons in his closet that you never knew about, they always do.

What a horrible thing to say in response to a lovely post.

1457bloom · 21/11/2025 15:15

Agreed marriage causes so much misery, it has almost destroyed some of my friends.

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 21/11/2025 15:16

My DH and I have been together for 21 years but only married for 4. Unromantic, but we partly got married for all the legal reasons named above. But he is also my best friend and he will ALWAYS have my back as I will his.

Your parents' marriage is not everyone's marriage.

AngelinaFibres · 21/11/2025 15:17

First marriage awful.
Second marriage absolutely utterly fabulous.
Marrying someone doesn't make them abusive , they were abusive in the first place.

SL2924 · 21/11/2025 15:17

I am married but also financially independent. Been with my husband for 20 years and still happy. I like the stability of the family unit. The legal protections both ways are simplified through marriage. Are there guarantees? No. But there isn’t with anything.

I don’t regret getting married at all and if I could go back in time I still would.

Swiftasthewind · 21/11/2025 15:17

SkibiddyRizz · 21/11/2025 15:14

What a horrible thing to say in response to a lovely post.

One day, as a teenager, I walked in on my lovely angel of a father, with his trousers round his ankles rutting frantically with the au pair on his office table. That was horrible, I just said what many women are thinking in response to a perfectly reasonable question.

Miss me with the moralising Tracy 💅

schoolfriend · 21/11/2025 15:17

Marriage is primarily useful when you have kids and one person takes a personal hit to their earnings; at the time to look after kids, but also in the long term via opting for more flexible, less stressful roles to accommodate childcare. It makes sense in this context for their to be a legal agreement around shared (marital) assets etc.

The other thing is IHT. I am not currently married to my OH but mainly though not getting round to it. If he died I would have a big IHT bill; if we were married, I wouldn't.

schoolfriend · 21/11/2025 15:20

1457bloom · 21/11/2025 15:15

Agreed marriage causes so much misery, it has almost destroyed some of my friends.

Do you think it was the marriage, or the relationship?

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