I have often wondered whether we as a society should abolish civil marriage. Often this concept is known as marriage privatization, which has support, as well as opposition, from across the political and religious spectrum.
In 2002, Wendy McElroy in an essay for Ifeminists titled "It's Time to Privatize Marriage."
Marriage should be privatized. Let people make their own marriage contracts according to their conscience, religion and common sense. Those contracts could be registered with the state, recognized as legal and arbitrated by the courts, but the terms would be determined by those involved.[2]
McElroy has also said:
Why is marriage declining? One reason is that it has become a three-way contract between two people and the government.
In reality it is already happening. Marriage has become less common and there has been a decoupling of marriage and parenting in many countries. Note that although being single has increased slightly, most are still partnering up just not getting married. One of the greatest benefits of eliminating civil marriage would be the cost savings. All that money wasted in divorce suits could be put to productive use to benefit the economy as a whole not just a few lawyers and litigants.
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