[TheSpiceIsLife]

> hospital you might be denied visitation rights

I don't understand this. If I turn up at the hospital you're in and claim you are my (opposite sex) spouse (with the same surname), do the hospital staff demand to see a certificate of marriage registration and then perform a search to ensure there is no state issued marriage annulment?

[anigbrowl]

No, but consider the situation where A elopes with B (but doesn't get legally married) against the wishes of A's parents, and they have a child C. A tragic car accident puts A and C in the hospital but A is in a coma, and by the time B gets to the hospital A's parents are there and disputing B's eligibility to attend at the bedside of family members.

[talmand]

B should just respond with "those aren't my wife's parents, don't know who they are".

[vkou]

Their ID shows them to have the same last name, and they can probably dig up other documentation to prove their case. B has no such documentation, his last name doesn't match, etc.

No, you don't need to have the same last name to visit your sick partner, but when people start accusing eachother of lying, it will sure help.

[anigbrowl]

Asserting counterfactuals is the short track to a loss. I encourage you to think through the ramifications of a situation or consult some case histories rather than just documenting your reflexive response.

[talmand]

joke [johk] : noun : something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or a prankish act

[TheSpiceIsLife]

Ah yep, that's a very good point and quite obvious now you point it out.