Marriage certificates are often used interchangeably with
marriage licenses. Both are basically a piece of paper that allows a regulatory
authority, either church or state or both to certify that two people have
gotten married. Some people often wonder why a marriage certificate is even
important if they are blissfully cohabiting or just living with one another.
They feel it is not worth the hassle of getting a marriage certificate as it is
just a legal formality.
However, there are several cases where by getting married
and having a marriage certificate to prove it you can help your partner or your
children if the case may be. Insurance policies may require a marriage
certificate if you want your significant other to be a beneficiary on your
policy. In case something happens to you, if there is a legal document like a
marriage certificate that shows she is married to you, she and your children
can cash the policy and pay off bills or just live more comfortably. Without
marriage certificates, doing such paperwork can be very cumbersome.
Marriage certificates can also come in handy when you travel
as some countries require visitors insurance and you and your spouse can be son
the same family policy if you have a marriage license. Even for health
insurance policies within the US, it is always cheaper to get a family plan
rather than individual policies for each member unless it is provided by the
employer for no charge
An Example If you get married in a foreign country and come
back to the US, you may need to get the marriage certificate translated if it
is in a different language. If your husband, for instance is a US citizen and
he marries you in Romania or India, you need to get the marriage certificate
translated into English in order to apply for a US visa so that you can
accompany him to the States.
Like birth certificates, marriage documents too can make a
big difference in home ownership paperwork, insurance and health matters and
life and death as well. Just as you would take care of your social security
card, passport, birth certificates and the deed to your home, you should handle
the marriage certificate with great care too. Ideally keep such papers in a
fire proof box at home or in a bank safe so that you need not go through the
hassle of replacing them if in case there is a natural disaster like a flood or
fire or a burglary.




