⪼ Made with 💜 by realpolyglot.dev
Laws exist in order to provide justice for all citizens; however, some laws inadvertently infringe on the freedoms of the very citizens they purport to protect.
Contracts exist to ensure that all parties involved hold up their end of the agreement so those parties can mitigate the risk of holding up their end of the contract while the other party neglects their end of the contract. Marriage in the US is a contract. It is a contract between the to-be-married parties, and the state. The question is ... why does the state get any part in this agreement. Where is their risk? There is only monetary reward in it for the state to collect when things go wrong between the parties carrying the most risk.
So, why allow the state to be part of this agreement at all? For the perceived tax benefits? Are these perceived tax benefits worth the risk given the ratio of married couples who have divorced, are in the process of being divorced, and those that wish to be divorced but cannot due to fear of financial ruin.
If we are being honest, marriage is VERY likely to end in financial ruin. Most people that are in love are so blinded by love to see clearly. What is it that they need to see? They need to see that they aren't any more special than the many other couples that were once in love, but have been taken down by the financial strain of divorce.
Most couples never consider the mental strain of realizing you've married the wrong person, but, can't get out of it because you'll be penalized with alimony if you are the top bread winner in the relationship ... regardless of whether the other party has been uncooperative, controlling, jealous, violent, negative, and anti-social.
Conventional wisdom says, just go to counseling ... and spend more money, which many people do not have. This is a trap; further enslaving citizens, keeping them unhappy, depressed, and likely to abuse substances such as alcohol and other drugs just to cope and escape from reality.