What is Marraige

Posted here By Attorney Terry Ray Bankert 810 235-1970

cpsa 01/06/07b

http://attorneybankert.com/
Divorce, Custody, Child Support, Alimony, Child Neglect, Flint Michigan USA Lawyer.

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Do you need help now?Call 810 235-1970Date. 01/02/07

What is Marriage?

Michigan defines marriage as a civil contract between a man and woman to become husband and wife.

The moment a man and woman marry, their relationship acquires a legal status. Married couples have financial and personal duties during marriage and after separation or divorce. Michigan laws determine the extent of these duties. As the United States Supreme Court said about marriage in 1888: "The relation once formed, the law steps in and holds the parties to various obligations and liabilities."

Of course, marriage is a private bond between two people, but it is also an important social institution.

Today, society also recognizes marriage as:
a way to express commitment, strengthen intimate bonds, and provide mutual emotional support;

a (comparatively) stable structure within which to raise children;

a financial partnership in which spouses may choose from a variety of roles. Both spouses may work to support the family, the husband may support the wife, or the wife may support the husband.

As our society becomes more complex, there is no longer a short answer to the question "What is marriage?" Definitions and opinions of the proper functions of marriage continue to change.

The women's rights movement and gay rights movement have changed some people's ideas of marriage and created new forms of relationships, including "domestic partnerships" and "civil unions" for same-sex couples. Marriage will remain, but it will also continue to evolve.

Marriage FAQs

Q: What is the legal definition of marriage?

A: Marriage is usually defined as a contract entered into by two people (a man and a woman) demonstrating their intent to be husband and wife in the eyes of the law.

Q: My fiancee and I will be getting married in a few months. What will we need to do in order to be considered legally married?

A: Marriage requirements include a license, a waiting period, blood tests, minimum ages, a ceremony officiated by a clergyperson or an officer of the court, and witnesses.

Q: Who can perform the marriage ceremony?

A: A marriage ceremony can be performed by:
A judge, magistrate, justice of the peace, or county clerk;
A mayor (or deputy mayor); or
A religious clergy (minister, rabbi, etc.).

Q: I'm getting married soon, and I want to make sure that my savings account remains my own separate property. How can I do that?

A: You should continue to keep all separate property separate throughout the marriage if you are concerned about keeping it as your personal asset upon your death or divorce. Generally, this means you should not "commingle" property you owned prior to marriage with property you and your spouse acquire during the marriage, or it may become difficult -- if not impossible -- to legally determine which is which.

Q: My future husband and I want to create a prenuptial agreement. How should we go about doing so?

A: Before entering into a prenuptial agreement, both parties must fully disclose their assets, income, and liabilities to the other, and they must enter into the agreement in "good faith," meaning that neither person intends to misrepresent the facts or take advantage of the other. In order to ensure that the premarital agreement will be enforced, it is advisable for both future spouses to be represented by separate attorneys, who can advise them on their rights and responsibilities. In fact, some states' laws require that each party be represented by a separate attorney in order for a premarital agreement to be valid.

See generallyFINDLAW Marraige

Posted here By Attorney Terry Ray Bankert
810 235-1970
http://attorneybankert.com/
Divorce, Custody, Child Support, Alimony, Child Neglect, Flint Michigan USA Lawyer.
http://terrybankert.blogspot.com/
Articles on Divorce and lawyers in Flint, Genesee County Michigan USAhttp://terrybankert.blogspot.com/2006/09/divorce-attorneys-and-law-in-flint.html

Do you need help now?Call 810 235-1970