October 3, 2008
Stupid Laws: Australia Wants to Equate Living Together with Marriage
Patrick Parkinson, a professor of law at the University of Sydney highlighted the absurdity of a proposed bill in the Australian legislature that would equate "living together" with marriage in the eyes of the law. In the Sydney Morning Herald, Mr. Parkinson pointed out that the proposed bill would "impose on people all the financial obligations of marriage whether they have chosen them or not."
The point behind the reform is to allow gay partners to seek alimony and divvy up common property fairly. No matter where you stand on gay marriage or gay civil unions. this bill would apply to straight, cohabiting couples as well as possibly even platonic roommates. The bill talks of "de facto relationships" but who is going to define that? This gives whole new meaning to "Can I have a drawer for when I sleep over?" I agree with Mr. Parkinson in that "people's right to choose NOT (emphasis my own) to marry should be respected."
Filed under Blog, Family and Divorce Law, Stupid Laws by Tracy Robinson
Comments on Stupid Laws: Australia Wants to Equate Living Together with Marriage »
Hi there,
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I definitely think people should have the right to NOT be considered married…why not just legalize gay marriage? Marriage and living together are not quite the same thing in my opinion!
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I could definately see where this could cause all kinds of problems. I agree with the other person who commented, why not just legalize gay marriage then. If I am living with a roomate, why would that mean I want to be married to them. It is a very loose law, and would definately need some tweaking to work.
We already have this in the USA for traditional couples. It is called common law marriage.
@CyberCelt: Not all states have common law marriage, and those that do require that the couple show they INTEND to be married, not just live together.
Yes, we should have the right to Not be considered married..
I think that most people could probably name of several laws that are stupid. My most recent gripe is the cell phone while driving law. For some reason our Washington State law makers think that it is more dangerous to hold a cell phone to your ear and talk than it is to look down at your lap while trying to figure out how to use your new hands free device.
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In my Country, Argentina, people who live together dont have the same rights to people got married! But I think personally that a sign paper dont make the difference.. Yoiu have to love each other and being a good person.. That´s all!
I think behind every law there is a clear reason. they will not make this law from nothing, they may saw a bright side of that.
Thank you anyway for the article.
Regards
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I don't think this could possibly work. I can't just be automatic that people living together live under the rules of a married couple no matter what. Sure there can be a system by which it can be the same or similar, but not in all cases. Does that mean if I live with a friend we would almost count as being married.
wow, what kind of law is that? this is totally insane. I believe this kind of law should be abolished.
We really can't blame the government if they want to this, they maybe have a very good reason to implement this kind of law. But still, IMO they should still consider the feelings of an individual.
In England when two people live together it is know as commonlaw marriage. Not actualy Marriage but in the eyes of the law the partners have certain rights. But it will be wrong to equate living together with people who have actually gone through a marriage cereomony in the eyes of the law.
Equating Living together with Marriage? I agree that Common Law exists but I don't like this law as well, while marriage is a social contract and binds both and it's a sort of foundation for the family system while Common Law is more like for animal-like humans.
We need to know what marriage is and what's it' true meaning is.
Well here in the United State it's slowly but surely coming around. My home state of Iowa just legalized it so it's a start.