That's the Christmas Cracker sorted

[Farmer Giles]

It will be the end of you:

A man is not complete until he's married - then he's finished...

[ARW]

I survived my first wedding.

[Farmer Giles]

And I've been happily married for almost 40 years, so my little jest was clearly not based on experience!

[Tim Streater]

She needs the bit of paper as protection. If you live together and she pays into the mortgage pot (but he owns the house), he can kick her out and she gets *nothing*.

Conversely, if they live together and have kids, if she kicks *him* out, he has no parental rights.

I have 3 nieces (all sisters, as it happened), who all got married once they understood that there is no such thing as a "common-law spouse". One went to the solicitor (with him) and they discussed back and forth what sort of legal agreement would give him those rights. After a while the lawyer said "I'm not trying to push you into it, but why not just get married? It gives you all those rights you are trying to put into an agreement". So they did.

That is what getting married is for, at the most basic level. It could also be viewed as a moment at which you say what you feel about the other person, in front of all your friends and relations.

[ARW]

She always makes me firm up

She will need some training

[GB]

As far as I am aware, that doesn't take much.

Anyway, good luck and congratulations. I hope it goes well.

[spuorgelgoog]

People can do that on Facebook now.

Owain

[Nightjar]

I don't see anything there that would be an advantage for us and, if other people don't know what we feel for each other after more than 40 years together, getting married won't make much difference.

Colin Bignell

[dennis]

I think that is not true, if she can show she contributes she gets a share, married or not.

He can apply for rights, he may not get them. The same as someone divorced.

That's the legal contract, some would argue there are religious reasons.

[Adrian]

So put the house in joint names.

Preparation for the relationship falling apart? Umm, great.

All our friends and family know exactly what we think of each other already...

Anyway, how does that apply to marriages like those of some friends, who had a grand total of three guests present, not including any of their family?

[Adrian]

So long as his name's on the birth certificate as the father, he has legal parental responsibility, regardless of marital status.

[harryagain]

Well congratulations. (Assuming all goes as expected) When/where's the piss up? You haven't put her in the club have you?

After all the things you told me!

[BIG NIGE]

I find that if you dig your thumbnail in tightly on your side whilst pulling, invariably the other person gets the present.

Good Luck, H>> Swapped the insides of the cracker from a cheap toy and crap joke for an

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

I suppose it had to happen sometime. In the long run, it's not cheaper than coke and hookers, though.

[Dave Liquorice]

Pretty much so IMHO, a bit of paper that provides legal defaults that can be advantageous to both parties. Anything from who gets what should the marriage break up to who gets what should one or both die intestate. Then there are the tax avoidance things one can play with whilst together.

Can't see what that has to do with it at all, should be pretty obvious. Religion? Spotted on one of those funny sign sites the other day "Your beliefs don't make you a better person, your behaviour does". Though that is very open to interpretation.

[Terry Fields]

So, this episode is a triumph of hope over experience....;-)

[mogga]

Tie a label with string to the ring and put that through the end you hand her. It'll also stop the ring pinging around the room when the cracker opens.

:-)

[mogga]

Maybe? LOL you better be sure!

[Dave Liquorice]

Read your own link. Father only has Parental Rights if:

• You are married to the baby's mother

• Your baby was born after December 1st 2003 and you are named as his or her father on the birth certificate.

My youngest was born before 2003 but I am named as the father on their birth certificates. The second point above uses "and" not "or" so that means I have no Parental Rights.

Further on it wibbles about getting the fathers name added to birth certificates by re-regestering the birth but doesn't mention anything about what to do if the birth was before 2003 and the father is named on the birth certificate.

[John Williamson]

Ah, but can she cook?