The Relationship Between Cohabitation and Divorce

 Posted on April 05, 2014 in Cohabitation

Sociologists at the Council on Contemporary Families now believe that the stigma long held against cohabitation before marriage should be thrown out the window. A new study from their office reveals that nearly two-thirds of all couples live together before their wedding day, and that this might mean good news for the couple's chance of divorce.

While previous studies looked at a myriad of time-related factors for couples, lead researcher Arielle Kuperberg believed that research should delve into when marriage-like roles begin for couples. Kuperberg argues that living together before marriage could give couples a chance to work out some major issues before walking down the aisle together. Her survey looked at more than 7,000 couples to arrive at this result.

What the study did find is that the age when couples move in together is important: those who moved in earlier than age 23 were more likely to split up down the road. Kuperberg believes that it mostly due to maturity.

Getting set up in the world and having a financial backing, like a steady job, can be important indicators of whether two individuals will succeed in their cohabitation.

Moving in together can present a lot of challenges for a relationship, but it's also a good time to find out if your partner and you are compatible. A relationship that works well outside the four walls of your home might meet disaster when you discover that your partner has some irritating habits or a different cleaning standard than you do. Cohabitating is your chance to make compromises or to realize that it's not going to work out.

Over time, you may find that your partner has changed or that you need to move on. Whether you choose to cohabitate before marriage, or you waited until after, divorce may be on the horizon. Getting a divorce is not easy, but for some couples, it's the only answer to reduce fighting and tension and give both partners a new outlook on life. If you are considering divorce, contact an Illinois family lawyer today.