Someone in Mexico City has proposed a marriage license that expires unless both spouses renew it. The minimum term is two years, so it is highly likely to take longer to terminate such a marriage. Regular marriages in Mexico can be ended with a no-fault divorce in just six months.
The purported advantage lies in a premarital agreement about custody of any children and who gets what from any shared assets. No surprises. No fighting or lawyers allowed.
Is anyone fooled? Is the pain of divorce all about money and control? No pain from rejection? No sense of personal failure? No frustration from getting by without a second household income? No grief for your kids who are now much more real than when you made your premarital choices about possible offspring? No sadness over losing half of your extended family?
If you need to know you can just walk away in two years or five, consider the possibility that you have not yet found someone worth marrying.
Can Renewable Marriage Eliminate Divorce Pain?
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I see an upside to this for those who want to stay married.
It’s likely to reduce
“Complesancy”. Far too many people stop doing the things that won their mate’s heart.
They treat the wedding day as if it’s the “finish line” instead of a life time marathon. In the work world job security or opportunity is based upon one’s ability to deliver according to expectations. Knowing your spouse could opt out of the marriage in two years might cause some folks to make more of an effort to continue to “impress their mates”. Feeling taken for granted is often the first step downhill for many marriages.
What a great observation! Thanks for sharing this.
Many Pagans already do this, only it is for one year. If they decide to stay together the vows are renewed for another year. It really seems to keep people on their toes!
Fascinating!