For what it is worth I want to tell a story that happened to some very close friends of our family.
About seven years ago or so a close family friend had a heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital for what turned out to be multiple bypass sugergy. His life partner of 39 years (at that time) was denied all information for nearly 24 hours until family members could be contacted who could give appropriate authorization for him to get the status of his lifemate. Twenty four freakin' hours! Some distant relative had more rights than the man he had been with in a monogamous relationship with since 1961.
If my wife of ten years had an emergency, and I could not even find out how she was doing I would be pretty close to taking a hostage to make it happen. I cannot imagine the hell he went through. That is a full day of being within a short distance of a loved one and not being able to see them or know if they were alive or dead.
They have both subsequently made arrangements to insure it wont happen again. And they both have gotten very specific legal arrangements that duplicate property dispositions as seen in marriages. But wouldn't a marriage have been simpler? Why make people go through this when a very simple legal institution already exists?
Doctor Bashir: "Of all the stories you told me, which were true and which weren't?"
Elim Garak: "My dear Doctor, they're all true"
Doctor Bashir: "Even the lies?"
Elim Garak: "Especially the lies"
™ Version 4.2