‘Til death do us part?

A possible two year marriage contract

There was a recent article about Mexico City lawmakers wanting to help newlyweds “avoid the hassle of divorce” by giving them marriage licenses as an “easy exit strategy.”

The liberal Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) has proposed a reform to the civil code that would allow couples to decide on the length of their marriage commitment, opting out of a lifetime. The minimum marriage contract would be for two years and could be renewed if the couple stays happy. The contracts would include provisions on how children and property would be handled if the couple splits. They expect a vote by the end of this year.

According to statistics, around half of marriages end in divorce, usually in the first two years. I do not think this is something that should be encouraged. This makes the institution of marriage have a lot less credit. At that point you are not making a lifelong commitment. You are doing the equivalent of signing a cell phone contract. I think a lot of couples end up getting divorced, but we should choose our partners more carefully. We should not just walk away. This is why you date a person until you are sure they are the one. Marriage can be stressful and difficult at times financially and emotionally; however, this is a lifelong agreement between two people.

I was only four years old when my parents got divorced. This was something that has affected me for the rest of my life. My younger sister and I now had to get used to being shuffled back and forth between my parents on holidays and weekends.

People do not always realize the seriousness of marriage. It could ruin your life as well as others involved. Divorce can have an impact on children for the rest of their lives. In my opinion, how is that fair? This is something you may have to deal with forever.

I have not spent a single holiday or birthday with both my mom and dad since their divorce. If I decide to go home for a weekend, it can often be a difficult decision. Having my parents live a few hours apart and juggling time to see both of them is a consistent battle. I have always believed that only the worse circumstances, such as physical abuse, were reasons for opting out of a marriage. When you say your “I do’s” that is when you make your lifelong commitments to one another. It should not be a trial period.

A two year marriage contract basically tells people if they hit a slight bump in the road it’s OK to walk away instead of working to make things better. I think this creates a legal excuse for people to not try to make their marriage work.

Marriage is supposed to be special. But having proposals like this is encouraging divorce in my opinion. When you say, “‘til death do us part,” that means forever. If this goes through around the world, marriage will be looked at as a joke.