Marriage Contract

1. Issue: Family Planning
   
   
1. Do we want to have children? If yes, answer b to d.
2. Should we adopt or have our own?
3. How many children and how should they be spaced?
4. Do we support birth control? If yes, answer e.
5. What methods of birth control should be used?
   
   
2. Issue: Child rearing
   
   
1. How would physical responsibilities for children be allocated?
2. What type of parent-child interaction will be supported?
3. Type of physical contact?
4. Kind of discipline?
5. Amount of time spent?
6. Use of child care facilities?
7. What kind, if any, of religious education is desired?
8. What are our feelings about sex education?
   

3. Issue: Place of Residence
   
   
1. Who and what will determine where we live? (e.g., parents, occupations)
2. What kind of geographical location is preferred?
3. What type of home is desired?
4. What kind of neighborhood is preferred?
5. What kinds of physical arrangements are desired in the home? (e.g., sleeping, recreation)
   
   
4. Issue: Family income
   
   
1. Who will work?
2. How much time should either or both spend working (full vs. part-time)?
3. How will the income be allocated?
4. Joint or separate checking accounts?
5. Joint or separate savings accounts?
6. Who will manage financial affairs?
7. Giving allowances?
8. Paying bills?
9. Who will decide about major expenditures and minor expenditures?
   
   
5. Issue: Household tasks
   
   
1. What division of labor is preferred? (e.g., should tasks be divided equally, shared or rotated?
2. If we cannot manage all household tasks, then what should be done? (e.g., should we reduce the amount of time working outside of home or should we hire help?)
   
   
6. Issue: Choice of lifestyle
   
   
1. How do we feel about open or closed marriages, friendships with members of opposite sex, separate vacations and so on?
2. What things do we value (e.g., getting ahead, raising family, meeting different people)?
3. Should we live as a nuclear family or not? If not, should we live as a group, commune, extended family, etc.?
4. What are our attitudes about sex?
5. How important is sex in our lives?
6. Do we support sexual monogamy?
7. How important is disclosing feelings to each other?
8. Should we maintain open communications in all areas?
9. Should we objectively criticize each other when we become annoyed over a behavior?
10. What should we do if the relationship is not working?
11. Do we support divorce?
12. Do we support family or marriage counseling?
    
    
7. Additional issue that couples should be discussed prior to marriage.