For years I have been concerned about young couples who live together before they get married. Their stories are often as follows: They often introduce themselves as fiance and fiancee, yet keep the same address. Sometimes they are apologetic, yet often they are not. They usually seek to get married, especially when children begin to be born. It is not uncommon for them to come to the church looking for someone to perform their ceremony. In marriage counseling they are shocked that person's cohabitating are at higher risk for divorce. Yet, they rarely seem convinced that living apart for a season would be a reasonable option.
I have seen many of these marriages end in divorce. In fact, most have ended in divorce. I have always looked for a study that would confirm what I was seeing intuitively. This week I came across a study that confirms what I have known intuitively.
Between 50 and 60 percent of all marriages begin with the two partners cohabitating, and many of those couples no doubt believe they are making a wise move up front. But living together before marriage actually increases the chances of divorce in a first marriage -- 67 percent of cohabitating couples eventually divorce, compared to the normal 45 percent for first marriages.
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