*shrug* I quit tryin' to figure stuff out a long time ago. It's possible that since the oldest child is from another Daddy that some of the family's income would be directly affected should the couple marry. I'm just sayin...... Can't think of any other reason two people with three kids and 13+ years between them wouldn't just make it legal. The comments don't bear fruit that they don't believe in marriage as an institution or because they don't believe in God or any other "established" excuse/reason for refusing legal committment. So, I can only guess it's the big buckaroos.
A friend of mine says that the next time she's thinking of getting married, she's going to save time and write the bozo a check for 1/2 of everything she owns up front and hit herself over the head with a cement brick after opening a vein. But, she's a bit cynical.