MARRIAGE AND MONEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19508, 11 December 1926, Page 2 (Supplement)

MARRIAGE AND MONEY.

PROTECTION FOR WIVES. Marriage settlements, while not so common an the British Isles as in France, have been becoming paore popular of recent years. As a rule, it is the old people who insist upon the settlement; to young and ardent lovers matters of mere money are repugnant; There are two sorts of settlement, one made before .marriage and - depending upon the marriage to come into force and one made after marriage. In both cases the object is the same—the protection of the bride and her possible future children by the tying up of a capital sum. But nowadays, says an English writer, when so many young people starting out in life have but little capital, the husband often objects to parting with a.- lump sum which he could employ in his business. Very often when the details come to be discussed a tinge of acrimony enters the proceedings, and the tactful solicitor has to bridge over this as best he can. Father insists that a lump sum must be settled on his daughter; the bridegroom protests that he needs the money for his business. The solicitor has to find a middle way. lb many such cases the solicitor finds a way out by putting forward the suggestion that the husband should settle life insurance policies upon his bride. This gets over the difficulty in most cases, since it involves no 'disturbance Of capital. The advantages of some sort of.financial protection to, the girl about to marry are fairly obvious. The marriage may prove unhappy, or the husband may go bankrapt. In the latter case the settlement, unless made to defraud creditors, will protect from want the wife and any children there may be. Another measure to protect the wife, which has become popular since the War, is for tho husband to purchase the home for her.

In France it is customary for the bride to bring money with her—her " dot." This is also customary in Germany. But in the British Isles the girl is not expected to bring money, for with us, marriage is far more a matter of sentiment than of calculated arrangement. The settlement is the only business side of it. and that is generally repugnant to both contracting parties,' and only forced on them by wiser and older heads.