I am sorry for your (apparently) negative experience, but there is a reason the LGBT community has fought so hard for marriage rights: Marriage gives couples more than a 100 distinct rights and protects them from malicious behavior by blood relatives, such as tossing the partner out into the street with nothing and taking the house if one of them dies.
Like I said, the only reason to get married is the rights afforded to married couples by the government.
My ex and I are on great terms, and our divorce was mutual yet somehow still a huge pain in the ass.