Heterosexual Couples Opt for Same-Sex Civil Union Proceedings

Heterosexual Couples Opt for Same-Sex Civil Union Proceedings

Posted to Relevant News by Maureen Dempsey on Thu, 02/19/2009 - 11:31am

What if marriage looked something like this: a simple, 15-minute ceremony; options for joint benefits and tax filing; dissolution by means of a formal, signed letter with no claim to the other's money.

If this sounds like a civil union with benefits, that's because it is. And it appeals to hundreds of thousands of heterosexual couples, who have opted for the Civil Solidarity Pact (PACS), which France initially designed for same-sex couples wishing to tie the knot.

In fact 90% of those who choose a PACS are heterosexual — around 135,000 of the 150,000 couples a year, reports The Telegraph.

With a current marrying generation detached from religious marriage ceremonies and the increasing cost of divorce proceedings, the article states, the solidarity pact is a practical alternative.

I tell you what: France has got it right going federal with civil unions, avoiding the same-sex Texas divorce mess currently under way. If only the U.S. would follow suit.