Cohabilitation offers more benefits to men than Marraige

First, in the United States the median income of full time year-round workers was $42,800 for men, compared to $34,700 for women in 2010. Why would an average man want to get married to an average woman if he made more money? He could simply live together with that woman and maintain his financial status were things to fail in their relationship. If he were married, he would have to split his assets with the woman and likely, because he made more money, he would pay alimony to her for a period of time. So not only could he lose years of wealth, but essentially have his income garnished by alimony for years to come Source: U. S. Department of Labor, U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Women in the Labor Force: A Databook, December 2011 Report 1034 (accessed 4 July 2012) 2. Secondly, federal tax laws favor unmarried taxpayers in several cases. Why would a man not only risk paying alimony and losing assets If he can stay unmarried and still pay lower tax rates. Source: . http://www.thedailybeast.com... 3. Also there is no evidence that marriage provides a better environment to raise a child. What"s more is that a stable co-habitation situation is far better for a child than an unhappy marriage. The heartache, pain, stress and psychological disturbance of a child when their parents break up is not due to the breakdown of marriage but the breakdown of a relationship. Whereas the married couple may become abusive during the process of a divorce, a co-habitation is legally a much easier institution to break down, reducing the duration of stress placed on a child in that situation. 4. Also A new study, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, finds that marriage provides few additional benefits compared to couples living together. The researchers were quoted as saying: "We found that differences between marriage and cohabitation tend to be small and dissipate after a honeymoon period. In addition, while married couples experienced health gains " likely linked to the formal benefits of marriage such as shared health care plans " cohabiting couples experienced greater gains in happiness and self-esteem. 5. Also, the divorce rate in the united states is around 50%. With estimates for the cost of a divorce ranging from $5000-$15000, why would a man want to get married if he risks losing this much money upon the events of a divorce. Age at marriage for those who divorce in America (2011) Age Women Men Under 20 years old27.6%11.7% 20 to 24 years old36.6%38.8% 25 to 29 years old16.4%22.3% 30 to 34 years old8.5% 11.6% 35 to 39 years old5.1% 6.5% The divorce rate in America for first marriage, Vs second or third marriage 50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce, according to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri. According to enrichment journal on the divorce rate in America: "The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41% "The divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60% "The divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73% Source: . http://www.divorcerate.org... 6. So if a man can enjoy all of the benefits of marriage with a cohabitation, why would he not take advantage of that? He lessens his risk of financial loss, lowers his tax rate in some cases, and provides a stable environment to raise a child. Moreover, he has much more societal mobility if the relationship dies, and is not tied down by alimony payments. With that, I pass the figurative ball to con, and good luck.