The Best Marriage Law Books of All Time

Do you know what you're committing to-legally speaking-when you exchange wedding vows? Saying "I do" means you've essentially agreed to a prenup by default. Most people haven't read their state's marital contract, but here's the gist: it was written in the 1800s by a bunch of old chauvinists whose idea of marriage would be best described today as cringe. Have there been tweaks? Sure. How's the foundation? Legally terrifying. And divorce happens. There's nothing colder and more embarrassing than having your divorce dominated by the state's default marriage laws.

In The Prenup Prescription, Harvard Law graduate and family attorney Aaron Thomas explains how a proper prenup can not only protect but improve your relationship. Don't just sign your state's antiquated, boilerplate marriage license and hope for the best. Sign up for "happily ever after" after reading this book to safeguard yourself and your spouse from outdated laws and cold feet.

Since its publication in 2012, this book has become the indispensable guide for everyone tracing the marriages of their English and Welsh ancestors between 1600 and the twentieth century. Based upon years of painstaking primary research, including studies of thousands of couples, this book explains clearly and concisely why, how, when and where people in past centuries married.

Family historians just starting out will find advice on where ‘missing’ marriages are most likely to be found, while those who are already well advanced in tracing their family tree will be able to interpret their discoveries to better understand their ancestors’ motivations. How, for example, should we interpret our ancestors’ decisions to marry in a particular form or place, or at a particular time? Did their choices make them exceptional or normal for their day? Might their marriages have been bigamous, clandestine, or void? Or might they have conscientiously followed the rules set down by Church and State? Professor Rebecca Probert explains the mistakes and confusion found in most genealogical guides, and thoroughly rewrites how family historians should understand their ancestors’ lives in this most personal and universal of areas.

Not long ago, same-sex couples had to jump through endless hoops to make their relationships even close to legal. For the most part, those days are over. Same-sex couples no longer have to operate as outlaws--they too can have in-laws! But here's the rub: many gay and lesbian couples, accustomed to living off-grid, are so thrilled to have the benefits of marriage that they gleefully jump into marriage without fully understanding the consequences. In her first book, Before I Do, leading gay rights attorney Elizabeth F. Schwartz spells out the range of practical considerations couples should address before tying the knot.

She explores the rights marriage provides and those it does not. With cameos from some of the most prominent LGBT professionals, Schwartz explains all of the implications of marriage from name changes and getting a license to taxes, insurance, Social Security, and much more. Substantial chapters on estate planning, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, and organizing finances make Before I Do relevant for all couples, young and older, and a crucial handbook for anyone considering marriage--because, as Schwartz explains, just because you can get married does not mean you should.