Whether or not you favor marriage as a social institution, there's no denying that it confers many rights, protections, and benefits -- both legal and practical. Some of these vary from state to state, but the list typically includes:

Tax Benefits

• Filing joint income tax returns with the IRS and state taxing authorities.

• Creating a "family partnership" under federal tax laws, which allows you to divide business income among family members.

Estate Planning Benefits

• Inheriting a share of your spouse's estate.

• Receiving an exemption from both estate taxes and gift taxes for all property you give or leave to your spouse.

• Creating life estate trusts that are restricted to married couples, including QTIP trusts, QDOT trusts, and marital deduction trusts.

• Obtaining priority if a conservator needs to be appointed for your spouse -- that is, someone to make financial and/or medical decisions on your spouse’s behalf.

Government Benefits

• Receiving Social Security, Medicare, and disability benefits for spouses.

• Receiving veterans' and military benefits for spouses, such as those for education, medical care, or special loans.

• Receiving public assistance benefits.

Employment Benefits

• Obtaining insurance benefits through a spouse's employer.

• Taking family leave to care for your spouse during an illness.

• Receiving wages, workers' compensation, and retirement plan benefits for a deceased spouse.

• Taking bereavement leave if your spouse or one of your spouse’s close relatives dies.

Medical Benefits

• Visiting your spouse in a hospital intensive care unit or during restricted visiting hours in other parts of a medical facility.

• Making medical decisions for your spouse if he or she becomes incapacitated and unable to express wishes for treatment.

Death Benefits

• Consenting to after-death examinations and procedures.

• Making burial or other final arrangements.

Family Benefits

• Filing for stepparent or joint adoption.

• Applying for joint foster care rights.

• Receiving equitable division of property if you divorce.

• Receiving spousal or child support, child custody, and visitation if you divorce.

Housing Benefits

• Living in neighborhoods zoned for "families only."

• Automatically renewing leases signed by your spouse.

Consumer Benefits

• Receiving family rates for health, homeowners', auto, and other types of insurance.

• Receiving tuition discounts and permission to use school facilities.

• Other consumer discounts and incentives offered only to married couples or families.

Other Legal Benefits and Protections

• Suing a third person for wrongful death of your spouse and loss of consortium (loss of intimacy).

• Suing a third person for offenses that interfere with the success of your marriage, such as alienation of affection and criminal conversation (these laws are available in only a few states).

• Claiming the marital communications privilege, which means a court can’t force you to disclose the contents of confidential communications between you and your spouse during your marriage.

• Receiving crime victims' recovery benefits if your spouse is the victim of a crime.

• Obtaining domestic violence protection orders.

• Obtaining immigration and residency benefits for noncitizen spouse.

• Visiting rights in jails and other places where visitors are restricted to immediate family.

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