The New Newlyweds Are the Unmarried
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Of course, it's fine to remain unmarried in a free country that has been growing in its open-mindedness (and not just about unmarried couples having kids) in recent years. But there are some legal ramifications that can make the choice more challenging. For instance, Goswick mentions that health insurance can be a problem. She and her partner live in Michigan, where common-law couples, those who have been together long enough to be recognized as married in the eyes of the law, cannot provide health insurance for their partners on their plans.
Filing tax returns and being able to speak up for each other in medical emergencies could also be obstacles.
One issue worth noting is the legal role fathers end up playing in their child's life, perhaps unwittingly. In most states, parental rights reside with only the mother if the parents are unmarried, even if the father is acknowledged on the birth certificate, is the subject of a child support order, or marries the mom after the child is born, according to the Unmarried Equality site, which also encourages readers to seek legal counsel about these issues.
Still, the unmarried say you shouldn't be swayed by the law to put a ring on it. As with everything else, the Millennials suggest keeping your own pace and following your heart. Ramon Khan and his partner Vanessa Cassani became parents for the first time as teenagers. Their youth, a fear of divorce, finances, and work aspirations have kept them from marrying, writes Khan in an e-mail. But here's what he wrote about the possibility of marriage down the road:
There you have it, the new newlyweds are not newlyweds at all. You can call them the anti-newlywed or the unmarried or you can just say they're in love. Whatever label we give to them, they're creating a whole new kind of marriage that has them raising families on their own terms. So there.
Of course, it's fine to remain unmarried in a free country that has been growing in its open-mindedness (and not just about unmarried couples having kids) in recent years. But there are some legal ramifications that can make the choice more challenging. For instance, Goswick mentions that health insurance can be a problem. She and her partner live in Michigan, where common-law couples, those who have been together long enough to be recognized as married in the eyes of the law, cannot provide health insurance for their partners on their plans.
Filing tax returns and being able to speak up for each other in medical emergencies could also be obstacles.
One issue worth noting is the legal role fathers end up playing in their child's life, perhaps unwittingly. In most states, parental rights reside with only the mother if the parents are unmarried, even if the father is acknowledged on the birth certificate, is the subject of a child support order, or marries the mom after the child is born, according to the Unmarried Equality site, which also encourages readers to seek legal counsel about these issues.
Still, the unmarried say you shouldn't be swayed by the law to put a ring on it. As with everything else, the Millennials suggest keeping your own pace and following your heart. Ramon Khan and his partner Vanessa Cassani became parents for the first time as teenagers. Their youth, a fear of divorce, finances, and work aspirations have kept them from marrying, writes Khan in an e-mail. But here's what he wrote about the possibility of marriage down the road:
"Marriage in an ideal world is something that should happen between two people who have worked on themselves to achieve their highest potential as individuals before getting married. Only when they achieve this do they really have something to offer to another person. Many people use relationships as a crutch to fill voids that they themselves need to fix. First fill yourself. When you are full, find someone else who is full, and you will create a life of abundance."
There you have it, the new newlyweds are not newlyweds at all. You can call them the anti-newlywed or the unmarried or you can just say they're in love. Whatever label we give to them, they're creating a whole new kind of marriage that has them raising families on their own terms. So there.
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