The benefits and protections incident to a marriage license have never been greater and include:
- The right to receive a portion of the estate of a spouse who dies intestate and protection against disinheritance through elective share provisions
- Preference in being appointed as the personal representative of a spouse who dies intestate
- The right to bring a lawsuit for the wrongful death of a spouse
- The right to bring an action for loss of consortium
- The right to workers’ compensation survivor benefits
- The right to spousal benefits statutorily guaranteed to public employees, including health, life, disability, and accident insurance
- The opportunity to be covered as a spouse under group life insurance policies issued to an employee
- The opportunity to be covered as a spouse under group life insurance policies issued to an employee
- The opportunity to be covered as the insured’s spouse under an individual health insurance policy
- The right to claim an evidentiary privilege for marital communications
- Homestead rights and protections
- The presumption of joint ownership of property and the concomitant right of survivorship
- Hospital visitation and other rights incident to the medical treatment of a family member, and
- The right to receive, and the obligation to provide, spousal support, maintenance, and property division in the event of separation or divorce