MARRIAGE IN MEXICO

Young Moors in Mexico, Michoacan
Originally uploaded by zocalo2010

Reuters reported contradictory proposals in Mexico yesterday. (Click here) Apparently it too is suffering from the global rise in the divorce rate which has now reached the giddy heights of 3 in 10. As a result one politician there wants to legitimise pre-nuptial agreements to make divorce settlements easier. At the same time however and concerned about the vast sums spent on wedding celebrations where increasingly one of the couple fails to show, he also wants to make the agreement to marry a binding contract.

It seems to me that it would be foolish to make one of these reforms without the other. Faced with the prospect of paying out sums in compensation if they don’t get to the altar as arranged, I anticipate that the divorce rate might just climb higher but, with a pre-nup, at least they will have already undertaken the damage limitation exercise. More work for the lawyers too with compensation claims and pre-marital agreements to draft!