What benefits does marriage give you legally?

[Elwar]

So, there are tax implications for marriage where you can combine incomes as a married couple.
(would not matter if we ended the income tax)

The whole "hospital visitation" thing is policy set by private hospitals...
(not really a Federal government thing)

Social Security benefits for the spouse
(end social security)

Custody rights to the children
(easily drafted contract can take care of that)

Insurance implications set by a private policy and private employers
(again, not a Federal government thing)

Anything else?

 

[tod evans]

A spouse is financially liable for their spouse.

A spouse can sign binding contracts in their spouses name.

In essence you're viewed legally as one.

 

[heavenlyboy34]

Umm, when one partner is employed, the other is covered by the working partner's employer-provided insurance (AFAIK). The minor kids are also covered by the working parent(s) insurance-generally speaking (AFAIK).

 

[tod evans]

Umm, when one partner is employed, the other is covered by the working partner's employer-provided insurance. The minor kids are also covered by the working parent(s) insurance-generally speaking.

Sometimes........more and more "jobs" are now contract labor and insurance is a buy in option not a benefit.

 

[oyarde]

YEAH , only thing , I could think of was being able to cover spouse on employer ins , but I no longer carry employer health & dental , I purchased that outside of work , I do carry the long term disability ins through work.

 

[Liberty74]

There is technically about a 1000 benefits. I'm sure there is a list online somewhere. Many of benefits are simply taken for granted and not realized as a benefit.

 

[phill4paul]

On the order of 1,400 legal rights are conferred upon married couples in the U.S. Typically these are composed of about 400 state benefits and over 1,000 federal benefits. Among them are the rights to:
joint parenting;
joint adoption;
joint foster care, custody, and visitation (including non-biological parents);
status as next-of-kin for hospital visits and medical decisions where one partner is too ill to be competent;
joint insurance policies for home, auto and health;
dissolution and divorce protections such as community property and child support;
immigration and residency for partners from other countries;
inheritance automatically in the absence of a will;
joint leases with automatic renewal rights in the event one partner dies or leaves the house or apartment;
inheritance of jointly-owned real and personal property through the right of survivorship (which avoids the time and expense and taxes in probate);
benefits such as annuities, pension plans, Social Security, and Medicare;
spousal exemptions to property tax increases upon the death of one partner who is a co-owner of the home;
veterans' discounts on medical care, education, and home loans; joint filing of tax returns;
joint filing of customs claims when traveling;
wrongful death benefits for a surviving partner and children;
bereavement or sick leave to care for a partner or child;
decision-making power with respect to whether a deceased partner will be cremated or not and where to bury him or her;
crime victims' recovery benefits;
loss of consortium tort benefits;
domestic violence protection orders;
judicial protections and evidentiary immunity;
and more....

http://www.religioustolerance.org/mar_bene.htm

 

[oyarde]

There is technically about a 1000 benefits. I'm sure there is a list online somewhere. Many of benefits are simply taken for granted and not realized as a benefit.

Most of them do not look that beneficial to me , in fact most can work against you in a hurry

 

[DEGuy]

A slightly better question is: what benefits can't also be obtained through private contracts (child custody agreements, power of attorney, wills, etc)? My guess is the rest is all government benefits (or liabilities).