Before purchasing anything of value these days, Americans as consumers want to take it for a spin so to speak. There have been several schools of thought as to whether or not living together before marriage leads to a happier marriage. Traditionally living together before marriage would be considered sinful, but this day in age it makes sense, if not for any other reason than financially. At the end of the day the money spent on marriage and divorce is not negligible.
The number of couples sharing a residence before marriage today have more than quadrupled since the 1970s. One would think that this has led to lower divorce rates. After all, you have lived together so there should be no surprises, right?
Surprisingly though, research has found the couples who have cohabited and then married later are more likely to have either contemplated divorce or divorced. It has been found that couples that have cohabited have poorer communication and problem solving skills than those who cohabited after an engagement and even more so than those that have cohabited after marriage.
Researchers say that many couples who cohabitate find themselves in a sticky situation. The longer you cohabitate the more likely you are to have shared items and expenses. For this reason couples find themselves marrying for the wrong reasons. Who wants to fight over custody of the Labrador anyways?
Regardless of what you personally decide to do in your relationship, it is wise to evaluate why it is that you want to get married. The truth of the matter is that today people are getting married for all the wrong reasons and that is the true cause for divorce regardless of living conditions. In the event that you are looking to move in with your significant other though, consider the services of Hadley and Ottaway Woodbridge.
