Book Opener

CHAPTERASSESSMENTInterpreting and CommunicatingInformationWrite a one-page paper comparing the rightsand duties that arise when you enter into amarriage contract with the rights and dutiesthat come about when you enter into a regularcontract.14. What are the similarities?15. What are the differences?Curtis and Myrna are engaged to be marriedearly next year. They are madly in love and areplanning a large church wedding. Curtis wantsto write a premarital agreement in case theirmarriage ends in divorce. Myrna is opposed tothis idea because she believes marriage isforever.Debate16. Do Curtis and Myrna need a premaritalagreement? Explain why or why not.17. How would you answer Myrna when shesays, “We don’t need one; marriage isforever”?18. Do you believe that all engaged couplesshould have premarital agreements? Whyor why not?For the following cases, give your decision andstate a legal principle that applies.19. Vadim Petrenko asks Lada Nureyev tomarry him and presents her with a diamondengagement ring. Lada accepts. Threemonths later, Lada cancels the engagement.Vadim threatens to sue for breachof contract. May he do so?20. Garrett Robins and Mary Lyman livedtogether in Vermont as husband and wifefor 20 years. They agreed that they weremarried and presented themselves to othersas husband and wife. They had no marriageceremony. When Garrett died withoutleaving a will, Mary claimed she shouldinherit his assets because she was hiscommon-law wife. Do you agree?21. Brigitte Samuels wants to marry her uncle,Raynard Prost. Will their marriage be valid?What will be the legal status of any childrenof the marriage?22. Tsong Lee, 22, wants to marry Mei-GuiYan, 14. They both live in Massachusetts.Mei-Gui’s parents refuse to give permissionfor the marriage. Can the couple legallymarry? Why or why not?23. Five years after Carlos Soledad and NoviaChavez marry, Novia discovers that Carlosnever divorced his first wife, who is livingand still uses the surname Soledad. Is themarriage between Carlos and Novia valid?Explain your answer.24. Michelle Weibel was married to AlbertWeibel for twelve years. Several years afterAlbert’s death in an automobile accident,Michelle received a marriage proposalfrom Albert’s widowed stepfather, Terry.Is Michelle free to marry Terry? Explainyour answer.25. Jacqueline Pesci recently married MarvinLeary. A resolute feminist, Pesci asks herhusband to assume her maiden name as asurname. Leary is willing to assume thename Pesci but is unsure of the legality ofusing his wife’s surname. What are Leary’slegal rights in this situation?690 Unit 7: Planning for the Future