Recently in Marriage Category

Along with war, marriage seems to be another thing Americans think is good for absolutely nothing.

According to a study by the Pew Research Center, the U.S. marriage rate is at an all-time low of 51 percent, reports NPR. And if couples do decide to get married, it’s now at a later time in life than before.

If the decreasing trend in the current number of married adults continues, in a few years less than half of American adults will be married and at older ages.

So why are couples shirking the sacred ceremony of marriage?

When it comes to the law and marriage, rapper DMX is no saint, but you can’t blame the man for trying. In addition to working on his legal issues, the rapper announced that he and his estranged wife will be appearing on VH1’s reality show “Relationship Rehab” to work on their marital issues, reports SOHH.com.

DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, separated from his wife Tashera in July 2010 after 11 years of marriage and just two weeks after he was released from a Phoenix jail. DMX was serving his six-month jail sentence for violating the terms of his drug probation. The two have four children together.

Before you pop, or say yes to, the big question, there are a few things you should know about your intended that have significant legal and personal consequences for you and your partner. Below, we've listed the top five legal questions you should ask before getting married.

1. Are you willing to sign a prenup?

A prenuptial agreement is not just for celebrities and rich people. It can potentially save both you and your spouse from a financial migraine just in case you decide to split. Prenups set in writing exactly how you'd like your property divided in the event of a divorce or death. Although it's not the most romantic way to start off a marriage, the sad likelihood of divorce makes it almost a necessity to have your interests defined sooner, rather than later.

Chandler couple Amy and Matt Funicello aired their marrital dirty laundry on national television Sunday night and received a Caribbean vacation for their honesty, reports The Arizona Republic.

The Funciellos were contestants on the NBC program, "The Marriage Ref," which gives celebrity judges the chance to weigh in on an issue affecting a couple's relationship. In Amy and Matt Funicello's case, Amy's football fanaticism was the subject of dispute.

In the end, comedians Jim Breuer, Nick Cannon and Caroline Rhea all thought Amy's outgoing, cowbell-ringing enthusiasm at their son's youth football games was perfectly acceptable.

The streets of Arizona will be filled with streaming rainbow flags for the next week as same-sex marriage supporters take on a 99-mile Arizona march to demonstrate the 99 years the state has denied full marriage equality, reports Fox 11 News.

The demonstrators are using the Arizona-wide march to educate its citizens on the plight of same-sex couples.

“There’s 1138 rights that a gay couple or same sex couple does not have that a married couple does,” march participant Karon Bohlender told Fox 11. “We just want to be treated equally.”

New York recently became the sixth U.S. state in addition to Washington D.C. to legalize same-sex marriage, which has sparked debate all over the country about the reform of marriage laws. In Arizona, there are groups on both sides of the debate who now have a political agenda to either keep marriage between one man and one woman, or to legalize marriage between same-sex couples.

The Arizona Republic reports that the Phoenix-based gay rights political advocacy group Equality Arizona expects the New York decision to have an impact not just in the Empire State, but also around the nation. The group is now focusing on repealing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) at the federal level. With the repeal of DOMA, same-sex couples would have certain rights recognized by federal law.

Just when you think that nobody cares about the sanctity of marriage anymore, a census report reveals that divorce rates are actually starting to decrease. The Associated Press reported that the United States Census Bureau showed 50 percent of all marriages ending in divorce in 1996, but that the more recent 2009 numbers show the divorce rate slowing, with only 46 percent of more recently married couples failing to reach their 25th wedding anniversary.

One of the main reasons that we have seen the U. S. divorce rate decline is due to the way people view marriage. It’s been no secret that marriage rates are also declining and that more coupes are cohabiting rather than getting married. There’s also been a rising median age when it comes to getting married, meaning that people are waiting longer before making long-term commitments to one another.

Singer Marie Osmond recently married former professional basketball player Stephen Craig in Las Vegas, but this isn’t the first time that the two celebrities have tied the knot. According to the Associated Press, the couple previously married in 1982, but then divorced three years later. They even have a son together, who is now grown up and 28 years of age

This marks Osmond’s third marriage and second marriage to the same person. How common is it for a person to marry the same person twice? While most people choose not to re-marry an ex-spouse, The Frisky recently reported of 10 celebrities that married the same person more than once. These celebrity couples include Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, and rapper Eminem and Kim Scott-Mathers.

Could marriage laws across the country be changing even sooner than we all anticipated? According to The New York Times, a CNN poll this week found that 51 percent of people believe that marriages between gay and lesbian couples "should be recognized by the law as valid." Only 47 percent of people polled were opposed to the idea of same-sex marriages.

Other polls have also reflected a shift in general attitude that calls for the legalization of same-sex marriage. The first credible poll to show a majority of people in support of gay marriage was a Washington Post poll in April 2009. Since then, more sources have confirmed this trend.

It's never too late to fall in love and a messy divorce doesn't have to deter a person from getting married once again. Comedian John Cleese may soon be getting married for the fourth time, even after his three failed marriages have cost him $25 million.

The Herald Sun reports that at the age of 71, Cleese is now dating 39-year-old jewelry designer Jennifer Wade. He has admitted that he is ready to marry once more and some people have even supposedly spotted Wade shopping for a wedding gown.

Yet perhaps there are lessons to be learned from three divorces. The Monty Python star reportedly had to pay a large alimony settlement in his most recent split from Alice Faye Eichelberger. If Cleese wants to avoid a surprising amount of alimony this time around, it might be wise for him to sign a prenuptial agreement with his future wife-to-be.