Perhaps when you ponder older couples in love, you think of them in a context of matrimonial bliss, or maybe matrimonial boredom.
The point is, matrimony is possibly in there somewhere. Older can in many minds be seen as synonymous with conservative or traditional.
I mean, older couples are not going to ... shack up, are they?
Well, yes. Some of them are.
Some of them have been doing it for quite awhile, and even as you read this, more of them have got the possibility in mind.
It seems that seniors have been moving in together and living together without a licence, at an increasing rate.
According to Bowling Green State University, numbers have increased from 2000 to 2006 by 50 percent. According the U.S Census Bureau, the number of seniors living together rather than getting married has almost doubled from 1989 - 2000.
Marrying will cause a loss of a number of financial benefits, e.g., health insurance, pension and military benefits, and loss in some cases of Social Security benefits. By remaining unmarried, a senior protects their credit rating and their assets, and possibly their children's inheritance.
About.com recommends some precautionary steps for seniors who choose to live together over getting married. Update your wills so that they reflect what you want to leave to your children, and what you want to leave to your new love.
You had separate bank accounts and other financial assets before and there is no reason to change that now. You may even choose to keep both households.
You may decide to sign a prenup or cohabitation agreement.This will lay out what your expectations are ... and are not. It's best to get the help of a lawyer to create such an agreement.
Still, living together does not mean you are not involved in each other's lives, like two ships passing in the night. If you are smart about it and do your research, between the two of you, you can decide what involvements you do and do not want to have.
If you aren't married but want to be involved in each other's medical decisions and have certain rights that normally are only given to a spouse, look into what kinds of documents you should have in your arsenal. A Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) medical release will give you access to your partner's medical details.
If you want to leave some or all of your estate to your partner, this will require involving a tax expert or an estate planning attorney to make things work for you.
Bottom line, you are old enough to be able to know what you want, and do what you want. You and your partner have many options to choose from in order to build the type of life and relationship you want.
Sources:
Cohabiting Seniors
http://marriage.about.com/cs/cohabitation/a/cohabseniors.htm
Tips for Cohabiting Seniors
http://marriage.about.com/cs/cohabitation/a/cohabseniors_2.htm
Is It Better to Remarry or Just Live Together?
http://www.elderlawanswers.com/resources/article.asp?id=6736&Section=4&s...
Cohabiting Seniors: Protect Your Rights
http://elderlawanswers.com/resources/article.asp?id=5323§ion=4