The breakup of Tiger Woods’ once happy home and the dissolution of so many celebrity marriages may signal the need to devise alternative forms of matrimonial union for the privileged few. Short of rewriting the wedding vows, which are considered sacrosanct and have been passed down through the ages, some slick Hollywood legal minds might write a modified version of those vows for the more fickle among us who find the whole institution too restrictive. Since monogamy and lifetime commitments are the cornerstones of marriage, maybe those who struggle with the concept and lean toward infidelity should consider entering wedlock for an abbreviated period of time via a term-marriage contract.
Here are five of the most salient points to be outlined in a term-marriage contract:
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The marriage is agreed upon to be voided after a preset time. This permits the couple to expect and to prepare emotionally for the end of the marriage.
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Legal separation or divorce is not necessary. They can be complex, expensive and messy processes, partly because they are intended to give the couple a chance to reconcile. Since term marriage ends because the preset time has been reached, the notions of reconciliation, legal separation and divorce are obsolete.
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The term of the contract may be renegotiated. If the couple discovers that they are becoming emotionally engaged in something profound they may renegotiate to extend the term of the contract.
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The couple does not inherit from each other nor are they responsible for paying any support to each other. Since the marriage is not permanent the couple do not make a lifelong commitment and neither is entitled to the property of the other. Although, having children as a result of the union may complicate things and will require a new contract.
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The contract can be used exclusively for the purpose of having sex. In some Arabic and Persian cultures fixed-term marriage is called marriage for pleasure. They allow couples to have religiously sanctioned sex for a limited period of time, without any commitments. The period can range between one hour and a year, and is absolutely subject to renewal.
Of course, one has to wonder why bother getting married at all since the term marriage contract doesn’t provide any of the protections that couples usually wed for. But it does mean that adultery is not a violation of the agreement and doesn’t obligate the adulterer. If it did, we’d be right back at making that marriage contract a wedding ceremony. –roz edward
