A recent, short article in a national newspaper caught my attention. Apparently, lawmakers in Mexico City are considering enacting legislation that would allow for “trial” marriages as short as 2 years in duration. (I know some of you may be thinking “all marriages are like going through a trial”). This proposed law would allow couples to choose the length of time of their marriage commitment to each other with the minimum being 2 years.
If the couple are not happy with the way things have worked out after the designated length of time, the marriage simply ends. The parties would not have to go through a divorce process. Sounds pretty good. But it will never happen in Ontario (or Canada).
So for those of us who are thinking about getting married in this neck of the woods, the old “til death do us part” will probably still apply.
This brings home the importance of considering the use of a Marriage Contract or Cohabitation Agreement in order protect the assets that you are bringing into a relationship in the event of a separation. A Marriage Contract of Cohabitation Agreement can also clarify the parties’ responsibilities for spousal support, assumption of liabilities and other financial matters in the event that the relationship is not “happily ever after”.