Mexico City considers trial marriages with expiring licenses

Lawmakers in Mexico City have proposed a bill to allow temporary marriage licenses, which can be discarded or renewed after a minimum two-year period. When the the two-year license expires, the contract simply ends.

“Till two years we part” could become the new marriage vow, if legislation allowing temporary marriages is approved by lawmakers in Mexico City. A proposal is on the table that would allow couples to opt for a marriage license complete with an expiration date of a minimum two years. This would allow a couple to simply dispose of the marriage by not renewing the contract after the set term. Alternatively they can renew the contracts and proceed with wedded bliss. The city already sees half of all marriages end in divorce, often within two years, so the new proposals would eliminate the need for couples to divorce, unless they want out before the two years have run their course. According to CBC News the contracts will include clauses on property and custody rights, ironing out these issues beforehand in a similar way to prenups. Leonel Luna of the Party of the Democratic Revolution, co-author of the bill said “When the two-year period is up, if the relationship is not stable or harmonious, the contract simply ends” adding “You wouldn’t have to go through the tortuous process of divorce” Lifesite News reported. Fellow co-author of the bill, Lizbeth Rosas Montero, stated “Two years is the minimum amount of time it takes to know and appreciate what life is like as a couple. If you renew, that means you have an understanding with your partner, and that you are clear on the rules of the relationship.”The proposal has been met with criticism from some quarters. Hugo Valdemar, spokesman for the Mexican archdiocese, slated the proposal as absurd, saying “it contradicts the nature of marriage.” Other critics say it would create a culture of disposability. Both proponents and critics of the proposal could benefit from studying the effects of a not dissimilar concept that exists amongst Shia Muslims. Shias allow for Muta marriages where the term is also fixed in advance, but can range from an hour to decades. The man pays the woman a dowry but has no further financial obligations and has no responsibility towards his new wife. The crucial difference between the Mexico City idea and Shia Muta is that the latter is allowed when the man is already married, thus making the latest bride nothing more than a disposable concubine or prostitute. A man may make multiple Muta contracts. In a Catholic country where pre-marital sex is looked on with disfavor then the concept of marrying for just two years could be an open invitation for men with no long term commitments in mind, to go through a string of sexual partners seen as temporary wives. There again, diamond seeking women could see it as an opportunity to build up their jewellery collection.