Living Together Before Marriage: What You Need To Know

In the past, living together before getting married was frowned upon. Couples were to live apart until their wedding day. A lot has changed since then. Nowadays, you’re pretty much expected to live together before marriage. How else will you know if you and your partner can truly co-exist together? You certainly don’t want to wait until you get married to find out that you two are incompatible.

Today, around 70% of women are living with their partner before marriage. So not everyone is doing it, as there are still people who are not allowed to for religious reasons or simply don’t wish to do so.

So what happens when a couple lives together before marriage? Do they all end up getting married? No, in fact, only 40% do. Those who don’t end up splitting, on average, after less than two years of cohabitation. This may come as a surprise, considering that cohabitation has pretty much all the perks of marriage except for maybe tax benefits.

Cohabitation influences not only relationships, but money as well. Studies show that marriage depends a lot on finances, so when couples live together, they’re in a better position to see if the other party is pulling their weight. It seems as though when it comes to money, more is better. Couples with less money are more likely to split, while having more money makes it more likely that you will get married. This is especially true if you and your partner make roughly the same amount of money. When the woman is the breadwinner, though, relationships are more likely to fall apart because of the male ego getting in the way.

So should you and your partner live together before marriage? It’s definitely a good idea if marriage is your goal. That way, you get to know your partner’s quirks and habits and determine if you can deal with them forever.

Does living together prevent divorce? It reduces the chances of divorce, according to studies. You are essentially living like you are married, but without the piece of paper. If you determine you are not compatible, you can split up without the legalities and headaches of a divorce. However, when you live together, you have no protection should you split up. Unless you have a cohabitation agreement in place, it will be up to you and your spouse to divvy up your property, especially if you made joint purchases while living together.

Contact a Maryland Family Law Attorney Today

Before getting married, it’s a good idea to live with your partner to prepare for marriage. It’s like a test drive, so to speak, and it can be a factor in preventing divorce.

But still, divorce can rear its ugly head. Count on a Columbia divorce lawyer from The Law Offices of Todd K. Mohink, P.A. to guide you through the process. To schedule a consultation, call (410) 774-5987 or fill out the online form.

Source:

brides.com/story/living-together-before-marriage-study

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