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Friends are saying "I do" - but might not understand the legal risks of their platonic marriages
Salon via MSN ^ | 6/26/21 | Nausica Palazzo

Posted on 06/26/2021 12:43:12 PM PDT by Libloather

**SNIP**

At the moment, though, friendship is not recognized by law. And only a handful of states allow friends to gain legal recognition through registration as domestic partners. These include Maine, Maryland and Colorado.

However, any two consenting adults – regardless of their genders – can get married in the U.S. Two friends, therefore, can pretty easily pull it off. But they can't admit that they're only friends.

Legally speaking, it could be seen as a sham marriage.

For this reason, two friends who tie the knot and receive a marriage certificate can still face considerable risks. They expose themselves to criminal sanctions and civil penalties on grounds of "marriage fraud" if a federal or state agency becomes suspicious of the union. And they may also be denied benefits usually granted to married couples.

Kerry Abrams, the current dean of Duke University School of Law, has outlined different doctrines developed in welfare law, social security law and immigration law over the course of the 20th century to specifically detect fake or sham marriages. Whether it's two people tying the knot so one can gain citizenship, seeking to obtain a housing allowance or getting married ahead of a trial so they can't be forced to testify against one another, the conclusions of the courts are the same: Their marriage is a sham, and the individuals expose themselves to criminal or civil liability and a termination of benefits.

Detecting a sham marriage isn't easy. And courts acknowledge that there are many reasons that may motivate a person's decision to marry that aren't "romantic," such as a desire to file income jointly to gain tax exemptions.

Therefore, courts look at whether there is what they call a "specific illicit purpose."

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Conspiracy; Education; History
KEYWORDS: friends; legal; marriage; platonic
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To: Libloather

Mogadishu Omar


21 posted on 06/26/2021 2:35:46 PM PDT by A strike (Barr to Gitmo, Roberts to Florence supermax, HerrDoktor FauxiGates to TerreHaute)
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To: Tired of Taxes

That is one heck of a feeble and crumbling foundation for a legal doctrine. Secular marriage will collapse down to a mere at-will contract, voidable by either party at any time and for any reason or no particular reason at all.


22 posted on 06/26/2021 2:40:28 PM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: one guy in new jersey
That is one heck of a feeble and crumbling foundation for a legal doctrine. Secular marriage will collapse down to a mere at-will contract, voidable by either party at any time and for any reason or no particular reason at all.

It would be ironic that women, who benefit greatly from marriage (legally and otherwise) were suckered into supporting gay marriage because 'they should be allowed to visit each other in the hospital' and 'love is love' and it opened a Pandora's box that destroyed marriage as an institution.

Ironic but predictable that it would head this way. Sadly those predictions fell on deaf ears. And here we are.

23 posted on 06/26/2021 2:48:09 PM PDT by pepsi_junkie (Often wrong, but never in doubt!)
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To: Libloather

They don’t understand much, because they haven’t been taught much.


24 posted on 06/26/2021 3:50:44 PM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: DIRTYSECRET

Nah, just post a video.


25 posted on 06/26/2021 4:19:38 PM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie (All I know is The I read in the papers.)
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To: pepsi_junkie

What got us here is the 19th Amendment.


26 posted on 06/26/2021 4:20:10 PM PDT by arthurus ( covfefe H)
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To: pepsi_junkie
It would be ironic that women, who benefit greatly from marriage (legally and otherwise)

LOL. You forgot the sarcasm tag.

27 posted on 06/26/2021 4:39:58 PM PDT by Tired of Taxes
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To: Tired of Taxes

You don’t think women benefit from marriage? I’m a happily married man so I believe that both sexes do better in marriage. But from a purely legal perspective you don’t think that if things go sideways women aren’t treated better than men legally? I would say that most men I know who’ve been divorced would disagree strongly.


28 posted on 06/26/2021 5:13:34 PM PDT by pepsi_junkie (Often wrong, but never in doubt!)
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To: RBW in PA

Sounds to me like you’re being too hard on yourself.


29 posted on 06/26/2021 5:19:21 PM PDT by LibertyWoman (Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: DIRTYSECRET

I’m not so sure that would prove much of anything.

Lots of people have meaningless sex.


30 posted on 06/26/2021 6:12:22 PM PDT by trustverify0128
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To: one guy in new jersey

We’re halfway there already.
Women can pull the rug out from under the guy with no notice.
He has to continue supplying cash, though.

Now consider if the tables were turned.

A guy could divorce a woman against her wishes and without notice.

She would have to continue providing sex whenever he wanted it or face the loss of professional licensure, or even imprisonment.

Would any woman ever consider getting married anymore under those conditions?


31 posted on 06/26/2021 6:34:12 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change with out notice.)
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To: grey_whiskers

Women are better off being poor but independent. The man stuff needed keeps them poor because they don’t want to be beholden. Can’t blame them.


32 posted on 06/26/2021 8:17:42 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (1)
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To: pepsi_junkie
Congratulations on your happy marriage. I agree that both men and women benefit from a good, solid marriage. And so do children and grandchildren.

from a purely legal perspective you don’t think that if things go sideways women aren’t treated better than men legally?

No. Maybe in the old days, but not today.

33 posted on 06/26/2021 8:39:38 PM PDT by Tired of Taxes
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To: Tired of Taxes

Ok so you don’t fool around and you don’t beat your wife. That means they should be ok right?

Paul Harvey once said the best thing a guy can do for his kids is to love their mother.

The best compliment about a husband: “He lets me be me”. That’ll kill u slowly.


34 posted on 06/26/2021 9:36:19 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (1)
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To: pepsi_junkie

The Judeo-Christian concept of “marriage” was legally destroyed in the West at a time when few people saw any purpose in real traditional marriage; now there is even less incentive to get married (it has become a joke).

Christians should marry like William Wallace/”Braveheart” (in secret with just the couple and a priest and no civil authority present). Added benefit of no in-laws present (/s)


35 posted on 06/27/2021 6:41:12 AM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: DIRTYSECRET
I don't understand this last line in your post:

You wrote:
The best compliment about a husband: “He lets me be me”. That’ll kill u slowly.

?????

36 posted on 06/27/2021 11:09:39 AM PDT by Tired of Taxes
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