Is a Loyal Boyfriend Hard to Find?

Don't you folks have common-law marriages down there? In Canada after you've lived together for over a year you're effectively married.

I've yet to see any tax advantages, though. All I've seen is a higher tax braket because of our "combined household income". Bah!
 
Yes, there are benefits to being married. But there are benefits to being single, benefits to being in a stable relationship, etc. A tax perk is not a reason to get married!

Happy--common law marriages exist, but the length of time you must live together varies by the state, and in order to have the relationship officially recognized, you still must apply for a marriage license and have it signed, etc. Without that, most states/governmentsdo not legally recognize the relationship, nor give benefits based on it, until someone dies or the relationship dissolves. Then, all property becomes joint property (ie, if one member owned a house, the other person can demand half).
 
Galaxie said:
There are certainly tax advantages too. Especially when there are children.
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Depends on where you live. In Canada, Common-law partners have the same rights as those who are married. And there are really no tax benefits to speak of...in fact, it can place a couple/family into a higher tax bracket.

There are no real tax advantages to having kids either (in most provinces.) There is a monthly payment (Child Tax Benefit), but it is reduced/eliminated as household income goes up...essentially a very small amount of money. Also, if only one member of the household works, there is no tax break...but if both parents work, then there is a day care write off. I find that very unfair to those who choose to scrape by with one income in order to raise their own kids...there should at least be some equivalent benefit!
 
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How does common law status come into play with things like employer based health insurance, retirement benefits and social security?
Not sure about the health insurance, but retirement benefits (health insurance and prescription drug benefits) and social security go to the surviving spouse. May not mean anything now to younger people, but I work with an older population of people and it can mean a lot of money.

On the other hand, I had a friend that's husband was a fireman that died at work. She had health insurance and a penion for life that she didn't dare give up by remarrying. Unless of course there was a better offer..lol.
 
Nursie....I'm not sure about the retirement and social security, but I know our health benefits and insurance at work provide for either a married spouse, or a commonlaw one and/or children....
 
nursie said:
How does common law status come into play with things like employer based health insurance, retirement benefits and social security?
Not sure about the health insurance, but retirement benefits (health insurance and prescription drug benefits) and social security go to the surviving spouse. May not mean anything now to younger people, but I work with an older population of people and it can mean a lot of money.

On the other hand, I had a friend that's husband was a fireman that died at work. She had health insurance and a penion for life that she didn't dare give up by remarrying. Unless of course there was a better offer..lol.
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Some of that is changing. When I worked for BCBS we could insure anyone we could prove was dependent (children, parents who lived with you, etc) as well as a "significant other" which could even be same sex, legally recognized or not. these could also be named beneficiaries on policies we had.

At any rate, I AM a marriage proponent. I happen to think it's how things are intended to be. That's my opinion o course and I don;t really care who disagrees with me about that. I'm too old to worry about what other people think about what i think they may think I think about what they think about what i think. Someone doesn't like my opinion, great, I just hope they reached that conclusion themselves and are not regurgitating some drivel they heard on Dr. Phil, from a professor, or minister, or parent, etc.
 
actually, in Jersey, earlier this year they passed a "domestic partner law" which made it legal for people who merely resided together to cover each other under their benefits as far as medical and all that. I thought it was National but I could be wrong and it could be just Jersey. I think it was more geared to Homosexuals but it doesn't specify the sex and my sister just added her live in boyfriend to her benefits under the law.
 
Dangerdoll said:
actually, in Jersey, earlier this year they passed a "domestic partner law" which made it legal for people who merely resided together to cover each other under their benefits as far as medical and all that. I thought it was National but I could be wrong and it could be just Jersey. I think it was more geared to Homosexuals but it doesn't specify the sex and my sister just added her live in boyfriend to her benefits under the law.
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Jersey was the stae with the *** governor, correct? Hmmm... :idea:
 
I wasn't saying people shouldn't be in favor of marriage, just that to me, saying "I'm in favor of getting married before living together" is different than "What ever you do, don't live together first".
 
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