Each side voluntarily consents to sign this agreement which includes the following provisions:
- The sides agree to respect the dignity and opinions of one another; moreover; the spouses will agree to involve each other in decision-making.
- The spouses should be able to express their concerns about each other’s behavior.
- The use of physical force as a method as asserting one’s authority is completely unacceptable.
- Each side will accept the premise that household chores such as dusting, laundry, or washing dishes can be an inseparable part of the family life; therefore, neither of the partners will evade these responsibilities
- Both partners will be aware of the idea that children require the attention of both parents. Thus, the spouses consent to take an active part in the education of children.
- The spouses will not deny each other the opportunity for professional growth.
- No partner will have exclusive control over the property that they acquired during their marriage.
- Each partner will disclose his/her decisions that can threaten the economic security of the family.
- Both sides will recognize the principle that marriage implies devotion to a spouse. Therefore, an act of infidelity may automatically invalidate the contract. Moreover, the party that violates this provision will bear both moral and financial responsibility.
- Each side will be able to obtain divorce, if he/she wants to. Provided that divorce is inevitable, the partners will share the property that they earned during their marriage.
Overall, this contract is based on several important premises. For instance, one should first speak about the equality of genders. This is why there are provisions related to such aspects as household chores, employment of both spouses, and parenting. It should be noted that in many cases, the professional life of women can be limited significantly due to the stereotypes according to which they should fully commit themselves only to household duties and education of children. As a result, it is often difficult for them to establish balance between work and home (Lazreg 23). This is one of the challenges that should be considered.
Additionally, there are several provisions about the use of property. This issue becomes particularly important at the time when partners want to end their marriage. To some degree, marriage contract is supposed to ensure that the economic security of spouses is not endangered after divorce. This is one of the precautions that should not be overlooked.
Apart from that, this contract includes the provisions about parenting. One of the principles is that the education of a child cannot be the sole domain of only one spouse. As a rule, this approach adversely affects a child as well as the relations between partners. This contract is aimed at avoiding this pitfall. Furthermore, it is vital to reduce the risk of home violence to the minimum. This is why this agreement contains a provision about the use of physical force.
Admittedly, this contract cannot cover each of aspect of family life. In particular, much attention should be paid to such issues as emotional closeness, openness, or empathy. As a rule, partners expect these qualities from one another. Nevertheless, these expectations cannot be expressed in the form of legal provisions. Moreover, one cannot determine whether a person complies with these provisions. This is why these issues were not mentioned in this contract.
Works Cited
Lazreg, Marnia. Making the Transition Work for Women in Europe and Central Asia. New York: World Bank Publications, 2000. Print.