For marriage the bell tolls?

[Evie]

...in Québec, at least (though the rates are declining across North America)

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=98a72ea8-afd4-48a0-a961-d925398598d1&k=84721

According to some french sources - I have yet to track down english equivalent - it is interesting to note that Montreal, the major urban center, is actually trailing behind, while it is the smaller cities and rural regions - usually more conservative - that are leading the charge, with rates of common law unions (unmarried couple living together) soaring to and past forty percent.

 

[Che Guava]

Funny how homosexuals are pushing for actual marriages, while heterosexuals seem to be switching to civil unions...!

 

[Adamb0mb]

I think westerers are just waiting till later in life to get married and have kids. Anecdotally a few friends of mine have recently had kids and gotten married in their late twenties.

 

[EdwardTking]

Funny how homosexuals are pushing for actual marriages, while heterosexuals seem to be switching to civil unions...!

When the homosexuals discover just how fast divorce transfers their money into lawyers pockets, they will know why heterosexuals become reluctant.

 

[Evie]

Thirty-five percents of civil unions isn't just people waiting later in life to get married, though.

 

[Masquerouge]

Just to make sure, both civil and religious unions are recognized by the state, and you don't need the former in order to get the latter, right?

 

[Evie]

Actually civil unions (common law unions in the article) simply means here "a couple living together outside of wedlock".

 

[warpus]

Actually civil unions (common law unions in the article) simply means here "a couple living together outside of wedlock".

i always thought that common law and civil unions were two different things.

 

[Evie]

Yeah, I think the definition for civil union is different, but I'm the one who mistakenly brought that term in the discussion thanks to a brain fart.

The article itself talks about common law union, and the 35% is cleared in various sources as being the percentage of unmarried couples that live together.

 

[warpus]

Are the financial benefits really worth it for marriage, if that's the only thing you care about?

I know this would vary from country to country, but I'm curious nevertheless.. and don't know too much about the subject since I'm never getting married

 

[LightFang]

Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.

You weren't paying attention!

 

[Elrohir]

When the homosexuals discover just how fast divorce transfers their money into lawyers pockets, they will know why heterosexuals become reluctant.

I wonder how long before we have books and lawyers specializing in divorcing gay couples.

 

[Japanrocks12]

Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.

You weren't paying attention!

you win the thread

 

[mdwh]

Funny how homosexuals are pushing for actual marriages, while heterosexuals seem to be switching to civil unions...!

As others have said, it seems to be talking about common law unions, not civil unions. Also, do common law unions apply to same sex couples in Québec?

I don't think there's necessarily any difference between sexual orientations here - the proportion of same sex couples wanting marriage could be the same as the proportion of opposite sex couples wanting marriage; you would still then see same sex couples pushing for marriage.

 

[Evie]

Civil unions apply to any who wants them.

 

[JollyRoger]

I wonder how long before we have books and lawyers specializing in divorcing gay couples.

It already exists. I draft documentation for couples unwilling or unable to obtain a government-recognized marriage license that is designed to simulate the bundle of rights and duties that a married couple get (I can't of course simulate the tremendous tax savings that a couple can generate through the spousal exemption to the estate tax). The documenetaion generally has language on dealing with a break up of the relationship - in other words, the equivalent of divorce. Of course, what a couple getting married can obtain with a simple license costs my clients a good chunk of money.