Brilliant, with more and more people denouncing church weddings and the "till death do us part" stigma, this sounds like a great idea. She's not saying don't stay married, but have the ability to re-asses your feelings and discuss what you both want. Just think how liberating that would be for an abused woman who knows her husband wont give her a divorce. 7 years and bang he has no choice, the couple who just drift apart, find there not the people they thought they were, its not a divorce its a choice. Then for all the people who are so madly in love that its just another reason to have a shindig and celebrate the re-affirming of there love. This is forward thinking, why cant more politicians think like this, as for children watching your parents fighting, becoming stressed and angry, not knowing if its something your responsible for thats much worse than a divorce. If parents are happier on there own, can give proper love to children, then that got to be the better way.
GRAND IDEA.

Samantha, Brighton, England

The answer lies in making divorce proceedings simpler. Even if one leaves aside the social pressures to get married,( which may be the reason couples unsure about the longevity about their relationship get married in the first place) there is a significant problem with the contract system. What if one of the parties wanted to get out before the contract period was over? He or she would either HAVE to stick it out no matter what because the contract says so, or get a divorce- which brings us to the very problem we were trying to avoid, or the contract would be flexible- which defeats the very meaning and purpose of a contract.
The legal procedures involved in a divorce should be made quicker and simpler. As for the emotional difficulty, I dont think the contract system would get rid of that. If I want to continue and my partner doesn't, it would hurt me as much as getting a legal saparation.

Surabhi Chaturvedi, New Delhi, India

Futhermore, having a serial monogamy contract rather than a marriage for those who wish, or who have proven unfit for marriage, will protect the sanctity of marriage by helping to weed out those who don't take it sufficiently seriously. But actually, in a world in which few people are afraid of hell, tradition and religion are not the main barriers to thinking seriously about it. The main barrier is the power of what I call romantic fundamentalism: the belief that right around the corner you may run into someone with whom you will fall madly in love, and live happily ever after. Sometimes this happens and that is the greatest. At least over 50% of the time it doesn't now, and that means our society as suffering terribly from trying to impose a happy ever ideal on a serial monogamy reality. Serial monogamy: being monogamous with one lover for as certain amount of time, then breaking that sexual bond, and becoming monogamous with another lover for a certain length, on and on until death

Bill BRanyon, Asheville, North Carolina

I'm just finished a book, the "Ethical Guide to Serial Monogamy." Sense the divorce rate is over 50% in America, that means most people live like serial monogamists. By idea is that marriage is best, but if you're unsure, or unsuccesfully married twice, then you should consider a civil union of whatever duration and whatever other specifications you contract for. It will cause less emotional damage since they'll be less expectations and more care in preserving a fall back social support system. ALso, anthropological, many anthropologists think that in early humanity, four years was the usual alliance because that's the time it took to raise the kid to where the mother didn't have to carry the kid and the kid could somewhat run with the tribe, and because that maximizes genetic variation and thus the chances for survival of the parent's genes.
B

Bill BRanyon, Asheville, North Carolina

Iran already practices such a marriage. Its known as Mutah Marriage where couple agree to any time timit when automatic divorce will come into effect. Why stop at seven years? why not seven days marriage?

Z Hussain, Rochdale, UK

that's right areagen of sheffield - free will means never having to say you're sorry. So go ahead and follow your bliss! Who cares what wake of destruction we leave in our paths as long as we're 'happy' - that's all that matters right? Me me me.

It is such a sad sight to see masses of young people with a gun to their head at altars or sold into the shackles of marital bondage! Oh the humanity. :-/

What is desired is hedonistic license - pure and simple.

St. Narcissus, Frankfurt, Germany

Excellent proposal with contract stipulating that all children and pets from the marriage automatically stay with the woman - and she pays for them.

benstone70, London,

I am in total agreement. As a matter of fact, this is an idea that also occurred to me some years ago and that I have been sharing with friends and family.
I believe this would serve two purposes, one it would allow those that want to get out to do so without the emotional or financial burden ; and second, those that really want to "renew" will make every effort to make sure that their spouses are happy.
I am in a 32 year old marriage and although it has been a good marriage I am not with the man I have loved all my life. This man has also been married for a long time and due to financial situation is not able to get out of his marriage.
The young people in USA are not looking forward to marriage and I believe it is partly due to the consequences of a divorce and they have seen too many. This would put at rest some of their concern.
Of course no one should go into a marriage thinking of separation but it that should happen there is an easy way out.

Elsa Solis, Miami, Florida, USA

I'd rather see a contract signed before a couple are allowed to have children. with an assessment made of whether either partner is legally competent to sign. children are far more important than marriage.

jem, london, uk

Utter rubbish designed to cater for the fickle and feckless.

Chantel, UK,

Based on studies we know that the 7 year crisis is going to be part of the marriage, and i think there is a 13 and other marrige age crisis. So with this knowledge we should prepare ourselves for this war to be fight, as a couple supporting each other, and everyday trying to fall in love, because we need to grow that love that we once had at the begining. I think that will be the solution for the 7 year itch, instead of just having the solution too late in a divorce. We have to see when we have kids is worse, because they are the one that are going to suffer the most, so as we prepare our kids to be the best future in society, we should prepare ourselves to have the best marriage by leaving everyday life pretty aware of changes, and always finding solutions for any everyday problems.

Sofia, Toronto, Canada

It would be worth examining its application in other societies that have time-limited marriages. For example, Shia Islam authorizes time-limited marriages, and so they exist in Iran. There may be other societies as well.

George, Durban, South Africa

Brilliant Idea - think of the freedom we would have - and the accessibility to talk about issues such as divorce rather than ignoring it and pretending it could never happen to you... It's like everything else... if you want a marriage to work you have to work at it - taking it for granted and then being shocked that he's divorcing you (or vice versa) is a far more damaging prospect - mentally and financially.
The suggestion is more akin to our nature and therefore more likely to cause happiness rather than some ideology cooked up 1000s of years ago. Bravo - an EXCELLENT IDEA!!!

louise, brighton,

It should be harder to get married in the first place. Perhaps that would make people think harder about entering into the married state
PY, Devon

patricia yesin, Teignmouth, Devon

Quote "why not make divorce harder, rather than easier? then people might think a bit more carefully about getting married and might put more effort into making it work."

Why not make getting married harder in the first place, rather than making getting a divorce harder. If your not ready to get married it is certainly better to find out before you are married rather than a painful and costly experience trying to get out of a mistake of a marriage.

ladyjay, Illinois, US

Hang on a sec.... Why is it she thinks that people
who aren't married in a Christian wedding are not moraly able to keep a marriage going for more than 7 years?

Charlotte , Osaka, Japan

I think it's a great idea. You have to renew fishing licenses, driving licenses and gun licenses. Why not renew a marriage license. Also, who says you have to be married to the same person for life? That concept was created hundreds of years ago and is obviously outdated.

henry guerrero, fort worth, texas, u.s.

The eldest child will probably be about five or six when the time-partnered parents part. The very worst age at which to experience a family break-up.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

7 years is clearly not a good idea but Yvonne, why would we want to perpetuate the myth that women are by nature better mothers than men. I have had the misfortune to have been married to a woman so ill equipped for parenthood that she continues to smoke dope infront of my son, avoids calls from the school because she "fears conflict with the teachers" (despite my son skipping school for a week) and recently declared that my son would start doing homework "when he was ready" (he is 12)....all this and despite having a stable job, family and no "issues" of any kind I am powerless to get access to my son in Canada. Men are no better than women as parents but they are certainly not worse by definition so lets keep issues of parenting based on merit not prejudice and discrimination.
And for the record my ex-wife also shaved, starved and incarcerated our pet dog too so she didn't fare any better on the pet front!!!

Robin, Paris, France

What a silly idea! If marriages vows were legally valid for only seven years, more and more marriages would collapse even sooner. If people are nor prepared to stay with their loved one for life initially than they should never get married in the first place. The essential ingredients for a successful and happy marriage are love, commitment and understanding. To incorporate an opt out clause would do nothing but degrading the institution of marriage. The trouble with marriage theses days is people regard their spouses as nothing more than commercial products( with a limited shelf life?) to be discarded or replaced quickly when they are not happy or become bored with them.

Wing, Poole, UK

any suggestion which downgrades marriage further is only going to encourage splits. why not make divorce harder, rather than easier? then people might think a bit more carefully about getting married and might put more effort into making it work.

jem, london, uk

I agree totally with Anna, Waesaw.

Charles, London, UK

It's a very sad world when the bonds of love and marriage are reduced to this. Marriage is already too readily jumped into by many and made to be gotten out of far too easily. If it's going to come to more rules needing to be written, surely there needs to be more stringent pre-marriage courses and post-marriage support when things get tough.

A Wilson, Colchester, UK

It's simply ridiculous! It's like "we're soo in love we're getting married and then after 7 years each one goes their own way" So, my question is, why get married at all? If you plan to go into adultery or split up after that weird 7 years period you might as well not bother getting married at all. Really. And all this stuff about saving money for lawyers etc? If a marriage is to break it will, not necessarily in 7 years!

Anna, warsaw,

Excellent proposal with contract stipulating that all children and pets from the marriage automatically stay with the woman (?)

Yvonne, London , UK

this is an entirely excellent proposal. it is a mystery why it has never been proposed before. bring it on!

markus g, hong kong,

This is a great idea. Would have saved me my job and a wholelot more, removing the preconceived guilt and pain of separation and making it a possibility. I think this would save a lot of marriages bringing back the feeling of free will.

areagen, sheffield, uk