Does living together before marriage increase the risk of divorce? The answer is not so simple. Please discuss.
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Does Living Together Before Marriage Increase the Risk of Divorce?
- Thread starter Sunstone
- Start date
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
I really doubt it does. If people are living together before marriage, then they aren't going to have the same religious obligation to stay together when things begin to not work.
Secret Chief
Veteran Member
Well I can state with some certainty that living together without getting married reduces the chance of divorce down to zero.
Secret Chief
Veteran Member
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
Really? You have seriously never heard of people having religious obligations to stay together?
Karl R
Active Member
To the best of my knowledge, the studies indicate correlation, but do not show cohabitation causing divorce (as the article mentions).
For example, looking at the CDC's statistics, there is a far stronger (inverse) relationship between income and divorce. The same holds true for education. If you're poor and uneducated, you are far more likely to divorce. It appears that you are also more likely to cohabitate.
If I had to draw causal links, I would say that a lack of education tends to lead to lower income. A lower income provides a strong incentive to cohabitate (to lower expenses). A low income also adds financial stress to marital relationships, and that is one of the major causes of divorce (it's in the top 5).
The people who favor cohabitation tend to point out that you get to know what your spouse is really like, before you actually end up married. It's far easier to break up, rather than get divorced.
On the other hand, there are a certain set of relationships that function on inertia. The couple doesn't actually work that well together, and one partner frequently has misgivings, but after several years of cohabitation, they get married because it's the expected "next step". If they weren't already tied together through their shared living arrangements, they would be far more likely to break things off (probably long before that point).
For most of the time that my wife and I were cohabitating, I kept paying the rent on my old apartment (and my larger furniture stayed there). If things hadn't worked out, breaking up and moving out would have been that much simpler.
However, that luxury was available, in part, because we were sufficiently well off to be able to afford it.
Mrs Revolt & lived together before marrying.
After 35 years, divorce ain't afflicted either of us.
Based upon this sample size of 2, living together
is a good preventive measure...for divorce, that is.
After 35 years, divorce ain't afflicted either of us.
Based upon this sample size of 2, living together
is a good preventive measure...for divorce, that is.
Secret Chief
Veteran Member
Sure, just didn't see that was the thrust of the OP. I'm sure couples have myriad reasons.
At The Left Hand ov God
Lucy and Beer
Coming from me, you should live together before getting married. People have a wicked way of changing so living with them and watching their habits make it easy with the transition.
Yeah, but I agree with SW to some degree.
Let's say there is NO difference in the likelihood of people who've lived together and people who haven't lived together pre-marriage ending up with a crap marriage.
By checking divorce statistics, there is a reliance on divorces being representative of this, but if one group (say highly religious folk) won't divorce (regardless of whether they should/shouldn't or whatever) it skews the results and potentially lends bias.
It may be negligible, or it may be substantial, but I would think it's there to some degree.
dust1n
Zindīq
Jeez, I've never even lived together with a girl of romantic interest. Marriage seems miles away.
I'm in favor of a high divorce rate. People make dumb decisions,
& divorce is correction. I think of the many people I know who
are so much better off with their 2nd marriage.
Where rates are low, I wonder if this is due to lack of freedom
to exit unwanted relationships.
& divorce is correction. I think of the many people I know who
are so much better off with their 2nd marriage.
Where rates are low, I wonder if this is due to lack of freedom
to exit unwanted relationships.
Make that a sample size of 4: the ex-Mrs. Penguin and I didn't live together before marrying. Our divorce is currently working its way through the legal pipeline.
Ouch!
May it be as inexpensive & drama free as possible.
On the other hand, it could be because of the low rate of dumb decisions that have to be corrected
But I do agree, divorce is one way to correct marital problems.
What a comedian you are!On the other hand, it could be because of the low rate of dumb decisions that have to be corrected
Selecting the right mate is generally accidental.
May you get it right the first time.
Last edited:
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
Some may find this interesting:
"...A new study by associate professor Arielle Kuperberg from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro found that there is no correlation between cohabiting before marriage and divorce; instead, what may predict divorce in those who cohabitate before marriage is the age at which they choose do so..." -- New Research Says Living Together Before Marriage Doesn't Lead To Divorce
"...A new study by associate professor Arielle Kuperberg from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro found that there is no correlation between cohabiting before marriage and divorce; instead, what may predict divorce in those who cohabitate before marriage is the age at which they choose do so..." -- New Research Says Living Together Before Marriage Doesn't Lead To Divorce