Many in Vermont might agree that living with your partner before marriage is a good “test run” before tying the knot. After all, it can be better to learn you cannot stand living with a person and break up before you marry, rather than finding this out after you are married and must go through a more complicated divorce.
But one recent survey is turning this common sentiment onto its head.
Is cohabitation the key to a good marriage?
The survey was conducted by researchers out of the University of Denver. The survey suggests that cohabitation with a partner prior to engagement increases the chance of divorce.
Of the 1,600 Americans surveyed, 34% of those who cohabitated prior to engagement ended up divorcing, while only 23% of those who did not cohabitate prior to engagement ended up divorcing.
This is just one study
The study concluded that couples who chose cohabitation before making a life-long commitment to each other were more apt to have unhappy marriages. Researchers suggested that cohabitation should be a mutual decision made after a couple discusses their intentions regarding married life.
While this might seem like good advice to some, it is important to remember that this is just one novel study. There are many more studies that concluded the opposite — that cohabitation prior to marriage made it more likely a marriage would succeed.
Nevertheless, some couples might end up divorcing whether they cohabitated or not. These couples might find that getting a divorce leads to a happier future. While there are many decisions that must be made when getting divorced, a successful divorce might increase a person’s satisfaction with life moving forward.
