Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for September 07, 2010

Not a good sign.

As pre-nups become ever more elaborate, a whole new sub-field of study in law schools and a new legal speciality are created, thus leading to more jobs for more lawyers! Who ever said the future looked bleak?

Why is it called pre-nup when it deals with post-nup matters?

Frank and Jamie McCourt’s divorce could cost the billionaire couple about $19 million. Can you think of a bigger waste of money.

@Coyoty, it’s called a pre-nup because the agreements are made BEFORE the wedding. SMH How hard is that to understand? Also, not every couple who has agreed to a pre-nup has a marriage that ends in divorce. Just think before you type next time.

Pre-nups so close to the wedding would probably not stand up in court.

EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL!!!

The act of creating a pre-nup is a statement that the people do NOT believe the marriage is lasting. That is why some of the churches will not witness a marriage when there is a pre-nup. Sorry to read that some of us as so cynical about both marriage and religion. For the record, I think marriage preceded any of the organized religions we now know. It seems likely that our ancestors developed the concept to protect the couple from intrusion, the children and wife from abandonment.

Hey Wiley. I’ve just finished reading every single non-sequitur comic on gocomics.com, from the 16th of February 1992 to now. It’s taken me about 6 months, reading anywhere from a couple a day to a couple of hundred. I just wanted to say thanks, and keep up the good work!

@Frances

I don’t know if marriage preceded religion or not but I can tell you this. The “sacredness” of marriage in the Jewish scriptures is strictly in order to protect the man’s property rights. The same goes for the prohibition on adultery. If a wife became pregnant by another man, that child could claim part of the husband’s property which might then end up in the other man’s family.

As for protecting women? The Jewish scriptures made if very simple for a man to get rid of his wife simply by writing here a “writ of divorce” which then left her pretty much out in the cold. In the ancient Jewish system, a woman was her father’s “property” until married. She then became her husband’s “property” and remained so until he died, usually. Then her sons would care for her until she died. But if she had no man to care for her, she was out of luck. That is where a lot of the prostitutes of ancient times came from, widows or divorcees trying to stay alive.

I guess either way the jews are sol by their own laws.

In Old Testament days, if a husband died childless, the widow would sleep with his brother in order to have an heir.

As for divorce, historian Steve Martin asserts the husband only need say, “I break with thee, I break with thee, I break with thee.” And then he throws dog poop on her shoes.

@Francis & @TexTech & Clark Kent

Regardless of it’s faults, marriage, in all societies and religions, is the bedrock of, to be blunt, civilization. From pre-history, it has marked the start of a new family structure and is probably the most enduring mark of a society. Legend and history are rife with the dangers and errors of disrupted marriage, from the Trojan War on. We disrupt it’s balance at our own peril and in blatant disregard of history.

I’ve been married going on 12 years now… so far so good. Course, I waited nearly 10 of those years to have kids.

I think that’s probably the solution to a large percentage of nasty divorce in today’s society… minimum 5 years child-free to prove the stability of the relationship.

Childless, that’s the ticket! Pity the poor childless couple! Sun-tanned, fit, relaxing on the beautiful beach of Wakiki wrapped in the security of their well funded portfolio!

Five years doesn’t always prove it though, G L.

I guess the ‘happy couple’ in this scenario is the two lawyers.

great and timely comic Wiley

everybody has an opinion

If Bill Clinton were representing either one, his first question would probably be: “Define ‘death’.”

Spammerflaggen!

@converses,

Coyoty’s humor just flew right by you, huh?

“Accidents” are cheaper than lawyers. Are divorce lawyers actually a result of their parent’s “accidents”???

Right on tsouthworth: Like Gallagher once said “why are they called apartments when they’re always stuck together?”

I was going to stick my two cents’ worth in – married 42 years, no pre-nup, we still like each other, etc. – but others already said everything I might have, and better.

Besides, maybe “happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have” works for me because I’ve simply been lucky, or maybe because I’m too unimaginative and led too uninteresting a life to conceive of anything else. Whatever….

But marriage does work for some, and I’ve always thought that a pre-nup poisons the tree at the root – if you plan for failure, you haven’t committed yourself to success above life itself, so you’ve made failure inevitable. I’m just saying.

ububobu, and why do we drive on parkways…. :) back to TODAY’S strip, they’re a couple alright, already have his n her’s lawyers!

Does anyone realize that 100% of divorce starts with marriage? If you want to get rid of divorce, abolish marriage!

And if you want to avoid dying, arrange not to be born. You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.

I’m trying to figure out how you could figuratively die …

Wiley DOES have a fantastic strip here, but 6 months time to read everything from 1992 to present? Wow. Not knocking Wiley at all, but get a life if you are taking 6 months to read all of the strips on this site.

@Jimjammer

I hope that wasn’t a slam against homosexual marriage. If two people love each other and want to get married, I say, “why not?” I’m not gay myself, not that there’s anything wrong with that (sorry, bad Seinfeld reference but I couldn’t help myself) but I really don’t see a problem. Then again, I’m an aspie so I never do understand how so-called “normal people” think when it comes to…well, everything.

@sam.nike - not sure what you’re saying, did naught101 take too long or was s/he surprisingly quick? I’d say 6 months to catch up on the Non Sequitur strips shows s/he has a life outside of reading Wiley’s work….but I guess there always has to be someone to knock down someone elses achievement. And back on topic - my wife and I were together for seven years before we decided on getting married… mainly as a celebration of our love that we could invite everyone to witness. Four years on and still going strong (and no pre-nup). Marriage is not for everyone but love is. If you need a pre-nup then maybe you should forget getting married?

Of course the devil’s advocate in me has to point out the upside of a prenup… that being that, if you had a substantial amount of wealth, it could potentially eliminate golddiggers from your love-life. Also, in second-time-around scenarios, prenups are useful in helping to protect protect the assets you would rather have to leave your children, if stuff didn’t pan out.

of course, if you manage to marry someone who only wants you for your money, you probably weren’t paying enough attention in the first place, and deserve what you get.

Clark Kent said, about 21 sermons ago

Stay single! Marriage is a trap for both partners. Marriage is a fraud promulgated by superstition/religion which itself is a cruel hoax.

It’s only a cruel hoax if false and a fraud; if it is true, then it is the hope of the human race and of every member. And, even if not, it has helped many find joy and how to be better persons.

As for marriage: it does allow the couple to trust, to dare even to fight (properly), knowing that the choice of each other is more fundamental than any other choice. And I have seen marriages like that: my own father got married after 55 successful years to a widow who knew 49 years. They believe in marriage, and know what it really means.

@weasel_monkey - in case you couldn’t tell, I don’t think going through 18 years of comics in 6 months is an accomplishment. I’m not saying anything about it being too much or too little time to do that in. I’m just saying that is NOT an accomplishment. Yeesh. Who do you brag to other than other gocomics.com readers? Do you get a certificate mailed to you? Honestly. There are things in life that are of more value than reading 18 years worth of comics. Spend (more) time with the family. Do community service. Get to know your (real life) neighbors. Obviously I don’t know naught101 and his/her habits, but 6 months of - ah, forget it.

Wanxi, good name for a spammer. Help flag him!