Is Marriage a Waste of Time?

Since there is no longer a stigma attached to living with someone outside of marriage, it could seem to many people that marriage is a waste of time. This is especially true when you consider divorce statistics. What is the point of getting married if within a few years the marriage is going to come to a messy end, anyway? However, plenty of people are still willing to enter the institution of marriage and they are hardly likely to do so if they believe that marriage is a waste of time, are they? Clearly, then, marriage does have a place in society and many people want to get married, so that their relationship is recognised by law and, for those of a more religious bent, in the eyes of God.

If you want to spend the rest of your life with someone there is the option to just live as you are without getting married, but you may feel that this doesn't offer you enough security. By getting married, your relationship is confirmed by the law as actually existing. Thus, if you end up getting divorced, you will be able to claim your share of the financial assets that have been accumulated between the pair of you. If you choose not to get married and your relationship comes to an acrimonious end, you won't have a legal foot to stand on and so you might lose out. Of course, marriage does not always guarantee a fair solution when divorce occurs.

Many people choose to get married because they want to have children and believe that getting married will provide their children with a more stable background. Yet, this is not always true. Unhappy couples who stay together for the sake of their children may be causing more harm than good. Getting married doesn't necessarily mean that the relationship is going to last the distance, although people may try harder to make an unhappy relationship work, because they don't want to have to go through the hassle of getting a divorce and explaining the situation to family members. However, getting married does at least make it easier for you to be recognised as a parent.

This is especially important for men who can find themselves cut out of their children's lives because their former partner is aggrieved at their treatment. Men who marry the mother of their children will probably find it easier to gain access to their children than men who do not marry. Yet, even divorced men can find that their former wife makes it difficult for them to see their children. Thus, marriage is no guarantee of a harmonious family life and it is clear that it doesn't really matter whether you are married or unmarried when your relationship comes to an end, as there are always going to be arguments and it is never an easy situation to find yourself in.

There are plenty of idealists out there, though, who believe that getting married proves you love someone enough to want to spend eternity with them. By getting married, you have an opportunity to celebrate your love with other people, as you exchange your vows at a formal ceremony, before going off somewhere to have a party! If you're religious, the marriage ceremony may take on a more spiritual significance that is important to you. Whatever the reasons for choosing to marry, there are many people who do not regard marriage as a waste of time, despite the high proportion of marriages that ultimately fail. It is only cynics that question whether marriage is a valid institution in the first place!