should marriage contracts have expiration dates like normal contracts do?

I like your mum's thinking I also respect the 'as long as you both shall live' ideal in the marriage ceremony but, we all know that, in many countries this phrase is meaningless as the divorce figures show. Maybe it would be easier for people to commit to a specific amount of time? Perhaps they would be prepared to make more effort to overcome their problems/differences knowing that there was 'light at the end of the tunnel'??

Hahaha. Sorry for the laughs but I guess that is a crazy idea. Marriage contracts with expiration dates defeats the purpose of being married. It may be a contract but I believe this one is an exception. This particular contract shouldn't have expiration date. See people marry because they know they are willing to spend their lives together. I can't think of people that will marry and divorce after a few months. So I'd say no.

I think marriages should be eternal. I am coming from a religious perspective. I would not want to marry someone if I know in 7 years the contract will be up. I would be very uneasy. I really hate the fact that people do not stay marry anymore especially the so called celebrity who hop from one marriage to the next. I think marriage with a contract probably would be good for the Hollywood crowd.

Good day... Marriages should not be bound by time, if the couples think they need more to know each other then they shouldn't be rush to marriage. Having an expiration date on marriages constitute a lot of legal issues, like would the surname of your children be changed back also, how about those conjugal properties? Putting an expiration on a marriage is a divorce in disguise waiting to happen.

Hi kayedanda! A marriage contract is NOT like your ordinary loan contract or lease contract where, as you said, a "period" or "term" is indicated as is common in commercial contracts. A marriage contract has its legal, social as well as religious features that no ordinary commercial contracts have. These are two entirely different animals. There are remedies of course for married couples who wish to severe marriage ties. Remember that marriage means family and kids too. I guess no one would want to put an "expiration date" on the lives of families and kids, like you tell them that after a year or two from their birth, their dad or mom will have to leave or be "changed". Am not married but I still believe there are solutions to problems in a marriage. Nice topic huh, thanks!

Humm interesting question. I hope not everybody would wish for that , I mean maybe a lot of people would want that marriage expiration or marriage renewable . If that happens we will be needing a lot of attorneys to check the validity hahaha.

No, I don't think there should be an expiration date on a marriage. Would it mean that your marriage expired after a certain time even if you didn't want it to? Then you'd have to do it all over again and, what about countries where you have to be legally married, that could get complicated. My parents have been married for 33 years and my mum has noticed that the "sentence" would have been shorter if she'd have killed him! . Marriage is supposed to be a lifetime commitment, not a contract. People will divorce and fall out but I think it's better to do that than to have an end date on it.

No, marriage contracts should be forever if you really truly love that person, and if people cannot honor those contracts, then they need to pay a heavy price. I propose the people pay "Divorce Tax". It means that if you decide to divorce the person you have married without a good reason (meaning divorce for the sake of divorce), then you should pay a "Divorce Tax", but that is just my idea. It probably sound ridiculous. This tax is on top of the what the couple has to pay for lawyers, paperwork, and the divorce itself, and both people in the divorce have to pay it. Renewable contracts are cool, but there are actually some couples in this world who want to stay married for a lifetime without having to pay for another marriage or contract renewal. It should be more expensive to get a divorce than it is to get married. Although, my other idea is mandatory marriage counselling and marriage classes to everyone thinking about getting married, this way, people really take marriage seriously and really think twice before tying the knot. I would also like to ban arranged marriages and "mail-order brides". I think marriage should be taken seriously and that people should really be committed to the one that they say that they love and want to spend the rest of their life with.

To me the Contract marrage at the first place is bad,so if it's having an expire date means nothing much after all all contract are not forever means they always to have exper date.

I totally agree with that! I believe marriage licenses should be 'renewable' after maybe five years. I've felt this way for decades and have told my view to many people along the way. It would give people who are in unhappy relationships the opportunity to go their separate ways and would help 'reinforce' happy relationships if they repeated their marriage vows every five years. It would make couples really think about their relationship and see if there are problems that could be fixed or if they need to go separate ways. That way, I believe that marriages that are basically good ones will not get 'stale'. People who are contented in marriage will not let time just go by, but really understand their marriage and what it means to them.

It is not a law in the united states to have marriage contracts which expire...except in Wiccan and Pagan religions. In Wicca couples go through a ceremony called "handfasting". The couple take their marriage in 3 year "increments" if you will, at the end of the three years they have the choice to stay together or part ways. Some actually go through the legallities involved in marriage..others chose to not legalize and are married spiritually through their commitment to their vows made to one another in the handfasting ceremony. Personally I think it is a pretty interesting concept!

Thats a wonderful idea, it would do away with a lot of divorce. I think 10 years is about right?

I don't know who gets married thinking it is just temporary? I have been divorced myself but when I got married I thought it was going to be forever. Can you imagine that there would undoubtable be even MORE bad marriges if people entered into them with the idea that it does not really matter if it does not last??? Atleaste this way people give marriage a serious consideration beleiveing that it is "forever". What about people that have kids? Daddy just did not renew the contract! Marriage is Hard! Even if you are married to someone you love. An easy out is just not the answer. Everyone has bad times. If you could just decide to not "renew" your contract, there would be alot more marriages ended. Divorce is complicated because of the division of property and childsupport, alimony.... what would you suggest about that???

I could be wrong, but I believe there ARE countries where marriages expire? I heard Germany is considering making it a law, with 7 years being the expiration date. I don't know about being in a country where there is no divorce allowed... I can't imagine that. I guess I would be in favor of an expiration if that was the only option... if only to get people in abusive relationships, cheating, etc. OUT of there. But as for here in the US where marriage seems to be "temporary" enough to people, I don't think it needs MORE ways to be seen as a joke. To me it should be seen as a FOREVER promise (and divorce is only the LAST option). And only should be broken when it was already broken by things like adultery.

all i can say is that we are lucky, divorce is virtually impossible in our country... and thank god for close family ties..

Those meriage life is not a contract, it will depend to the husband & wife how they will handle till the end of thier life, as we know lot of merried got divorced becauise there is still a missing to thier life, we need understanding & sharing to our family & keep them strong for any circumtances.

I think it would be a great idea.The couple would be together if and only if they are really happy with each other. I am very old fashioned when it comes to marriage as it is now. I believe the only reason to marry is because it was arranged by the two families.Love or happiness has nothing to do it.So I Never thought love and marriage would mix. but with this idea , you could try to mix love with marriage because if it doesn't work out, you wait for the marriage to expire and you go your separate ways.There wouldn't ugly, expensive divorces. There may be less domestic violence too. What a great idea.

I don't see why a couple can't enter into a contractual arrangement with a lawyer laying down everything they want including an expiration date and then have a joining ceremony. The state may not see what you have as a legal marriage but so what? Really, it wouldn't matter since the contract would have to be honored to the letter of the law. You could techincally adopt someone this way too.

I don't consider marriage as a contract but a life commitment. Too many people go after someone who looks good to them, with a physical attraction. I believe marriage should be entered into by friends/love and if you aren't friends first, you are going to have problems. I'm married to my best friend and we've lasted for 44 years.

In the Philippines, marriage contract doesn't expire. And I don't agree with the idea of expiration. If a couple will get into marriage, they should think about it a thousand times because to me marriage is a lifetime commitment.