More Than Marriage - by John G Culhane (Paperback)

About the Book

"Today, about one-half of all adults are unmarried. Many of them are in other kinds of significant relationships, yet the law offers them few protections. Although a few states have created nonmarital relationship statuses, they fall far short of the kind of comprehensive structures needed to recognize and protect. John Culhane offers a comprehensive approach to satisfying the needs of this vast population of unmarried adults. Using a narrative approach that resulted from in-depth interviews, he gives voice to the many couples inadequately served by existing law. Their stories provide living evidence of the need for the law to extend its reach to those who are inadequately protected-or not protected at all"--

Book Synopsis

Introduces an expansive vision of the family and a brilliant legal arrangement that will protect the lives of millions of adults.

Today, about half of all adults are unmarried. Many of those are in significant relationships--some intimate, others based in friendship, finances, or family ties--but the law offers them few protections. Amid the growing recognition that modern families take all shapes, More Than Marriage presents a refreshing vision for the future.

With this book, noted family-law expert John G. Culhane takes us on a guided tour of how the march toward marriage equality spun off a number of other legal statuses, and explores how the law has expanded and where it falls short. This lively living history is grounded in relatable, in-depth interviews that give voice to the millions of Americans building family structures outside the protections of marriage--whether by choice, necessity, or exclusion. Culhane proposes an updated legal status that offers flexible and portable benefits for a diverse range of commitments and needs. As More Than Marriage shows, this "choose your own adventure" structure more accurately reflects, and more equitably protects, the many kinds of families we choose to build.

From the Back Cover

"We are all too in love with the idea of marriage. What if, asks John Culhane in this provocative new book, marriage were not the ceiling but the floor; not the single North Star of every committed relationship, but one of an array of legal arrangements that could better serve families, allocate benefits, and protect and honor love? Culhane here urges us to think more capaciously about love and how to protect and foster it for more of us, more deeply, going forward."--Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor at Slate and host of the podcast Amicus

"Culhane has written an incredibly important book on how to recognize the diversity of relationships in today's culture. The book provides history, interviews, and useful context--and is engaging and fun to read."--Naomi Cahn, coauthor of Fair Shake: Women and the Fight to Build a Just Economy

"In this ambitious and engaging book, Culhane shows that marriage law simultaneously does too much and too little: it unnecessarily rewards people who marry, while letting down the millions of Americans in meaningful, committed nonmarital relationships. Through a masterful synthesis of history, legal analysis, and narrative, he makes sense of the proliferation of alternatives to marriage, diagnoses their shortcomings, and proposes solutions to bring us closer to true marriage--and nonmarriage--equality."--Kaiponanea Matsumura, Professor and William M. Rains Fellow, Loyola Law School

Review Quotes

"Culhane offers a refreshing take on how we might legally enshrine a variety of forms of relationships and intimacies. . . . More Than Marriage will be immersive reading for those interested in the legal recognition of relationships and for imagining new possibilities beyond marriage."-- "Gender & Society"

"Recommended [for] advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers."-- "CHOICE"

"This book about marriage alternatives should appeal to a general audience. Ideal for those interested in domestic law policies."-- "Library Journal"

"An inspired introduction to legal understandings of marriage equality that issues an urgent argument for continued reforms."-- "Foreword Reviews"

About the Author

John G. Culhane is Professor of Law and Codirector of the Family Health Law & Policy Institute at Delaware Law School (Widener University). He is a frequent contributor to Slate and Politico and is the author of casebooks in the areas of both family law and torts, as well as Same-Sex Legal Kit for Dummies.