Oregon Legal Research Blog
Note: I use the term “temporary” marriage below instead of “short-term” marriage because the latter is how marriages of very short duration are described and labeled in some courts. (*See below for more on “short-term” marriage in Oregon.)
Whenever someone asks why we (Americans, I presume, or maybe Oregonians) don’t have temporary or “short-term” marriage (meaning of limited duration by choice, not a marriage that lasts for a short-term), I refrain from playing the wedding-wag and saying, “what do you think a prenup is all about?”
Prenuptial agreements are about a whole lot more than money and power and can be extremely valuable marriage contracts, but if not managed seriously by each party to the marriage, I suppose they could be viewed as a back-door route to temporary marriage (e.g. in Islamic law), which may be one among other reasons they can raise some people’s blood pressure.
If you are planning to marry and are curious about prenups (curiosity is a good thing), in addition to reading some of those terrifying books, websites, and magazines on weddings, I recommend you read Nolo Press, “Prenuptial Agreements: How to Write a Fair & Lasting Contract,” 3rd ed., by Katherine Stoner & Shae Irving, J.D.