Couples in Mexico City could soon use "renewable" marriage contracts to try living with their other half before making a lifetime commitment.

Newlyweds would take a minimum of two years before deciding whether to cement their relationship or split up, under plans to alter the city's civil code.

If approved, the contracts would set out in advance marital duties, such as in childcare, schooling and budgeting.

Lizbeth Rosas Montero, who drew up the bill, hopes it will cut divorce rates.

Half of all marriages in Mexico City currently end in a split.

She believes the contracts, allowing couples to "renew or dissolve" the marital link after a pre-arranged term, would lead to more harmonious relationships and reduce the workload on family judges.

Terms governing healthcare provision, the way children are educated, how much money was needed to support the family, and how dependents would be looked after in the case of a break-up would be set out in advance.

Labels: cohabitation, common-law, divorce, Marriage, Mexico

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On March 4, Mexico City will became the first capital city in Latin America to have legal same-sex marriages and adoptions.

Even for Mexicans, how this ever happened is difficult to understand. You would think that this deeply religious country would take a dim view of homosexuality. According to the last official census, more than 93 percent of Mexicans are Christian: 87.9 percent Catholic, and 5.2 percent Protestant. Since same-sex marriage was only approved in the capital, the local religious situation might be different there. But it is not: 94 percent there are Christian.

Then why did the Mexico City legislature vote 39-20 on December 21 to change the definition of marriage from "a free union between a man and a woman" to "a free union between two people"?

Perhaps the new law is popular amongst voters? Not so. According to surveys conducted by El País, a Spanish newspaper, over 41 percent of Mexicans are against it (39 percent in favour) and, notably, 67 percent oppose gay adoption, the majority of them because they think it would be "a danger to society". A survey conducted by the National Action Party (Partido Acción Nacional, PAN) shows even more impressive figures: 53 percent against gay marriage.

Labels: adoption, gay marriage, Mexico

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