I Do! Maybe.. Why A Beta Marriage Might Be Right For You
If you were born between the years 1980 to 1995, you might be labeled as a "millennial." According to CBS News, there are currently over 80 million people in this category, and studies show that a high percentage of millennials would be supportive of a new concept of marriage known as a "beta marriage." This type of marriage is a short-term arrangement that allows couples to see if they want to be married before they actually go through with it, and this might be right for you if you are not 100% sure about marriage.
Where did this Term Come From?
When a new computer product is first released, the manufacturer often states that the product is in beta mode. Beta mode is a testing of the product before it is actually released to the public. This testing period is used to eliminate quirks and problems from the product, and to make any necessary changes before it is officially released for sale.
This is where the concept of a beta marriage came from. A beta marriage is designed as a test period for a marriage. This period is generally two years, and it is designed to help a couple find out if they really want to get married.
What are the Benefits of This?
According to the Washington Post, the current divorce rate in America is around 50%. While some people blame this on the baby boomer generation, no one really knows for sure what will happen with the millennials.
Almost half of millennials believe that this is a great reason to allow and use beta marriages. If couples could try out marriage before making the commitment to it, there is a chance that it may help decrease the rate of divorce in this country. If this were true, this could be a huge benefit of beta marriages.
Another benefit this could offer is avoiding the legalities of marriage and divorce. To get married, you must apply for a marriage license. Once you are wed, you are legally one and this cannot change unless you go through the formal divorce process. Divorces are:
- Costly
- Time-consuming
- Stressful
- Hard on families
- Complicated
With a beta marriage, the marriage is not really a legal marriage. If a couple does this and decides to split up, they will be able to do it without a lot of costs or trouble. In some ways, a beta marriage is like a two-year contract. At the end of the two years, the couple decides what to do, and there are three main options:
- Renew the contract for another two years
- Get legally married (a permanent, traditional marriage)
- Split up and part ways
As you can see, this arrangement would be a lot simpler for couples that decide not to stay together.
How Would it Work?
If beta marriages were legally allowed, couples may have to register for the marriage, and they may have to visit a family lawyer to do this. From this point, they could decide if they want to have a formal wedding or not. They could also decide if they want to put certain agreements in writing.
Family lawyers, like those at http://www.donphelpsfamilylawvancouver.com, offer services related to marriage, divorce, and other types of family issues. If beta marriages ever become legally allowed, family lawyers may have fewer divorce cases to handle, but they might experience a large supply of work involving beta marriages.
While this is not something you can actually do at the time, many couples are choosing to live together before marriage. This is not exactly the same thing as a beta marriage, but it is a close alternative to it at the present time.