<prompt> Human: I Love my SO. We have been together for 9 years and plan to spend the rest of our loves together. She is pregnant. I make 40k and she makes 20k USD yearly. Are there any financial benefits for us to marry?  <response>: There are many legal benefits to marriage. For example if your wife has a medical emergency during the labor process you will automatically be considered next of kin for medical decision making. As a non-spouse, unless you hold a medical-power-of-attorney, her parents have greater right to make a medical decision about her than you do. Also if she were to die in an accident prior to giving birth god forbid her parents would be her natural heirs and could withdraw all funds from any joint accounts. Not half. All. Yes you can write lots of paperwork to account for all the rights conferred automatically by marriage, but it is complex and expensive. This is why gay people fought long and hard for marriage equality. Its not a piece of paper and it has nothing to do with commitment. Its the right to be seen as legal next of kin under the law. 