Benefits of Spouse's Employer

• One benefit of marriage is that you get to share in your spouse's employment benefits. For example, many employers include workers' spouses as beneficiaries of health insurance. And if your spouse dies, you have access to the person's retirement benefits.
  
  

Social Security Benefits

• When your spouse dies, you get the person's Social Security benefits. When you apply for survivor benefits, you'll have to bring proof of your spouse's death, such as the death certificate. The earliest age you can receive benefits is normally 60, but you can receive benefits sooner if you're raising a child under age 16.
  
  

Medical Rights

• In cases where one spouse is unable to function due to a health crisis, the other spouse can make decisions on behalf of the disabled spouse.
  
  

Sharing of Assets

• In a marriage, the couple shares resources such as finances, business ventures and residential properties. This is beneficial, especially if the couple wants to build wealth for themselves and transfer it to their children in the future.
  
  

Considerations

• When deciding to get married, the main reason for doing so shouldn't be only for the legal benefits, but because you love the other person and you want to be committed to this person for life despite the hard times that will come in the marriage.