Cohabitation on the Rise, Can Lead to Divorce

 Posted on April 24, 2013 in Divorce

The days of living separately before marriage are long gone in the United States, according to a recent Center for Disease Control (CDC) report  that was published on CBS News. The rise in cohabitation before marriage is initiated mostly by women, according to the CDC; "48 percent of women were living with their significant other but not married to them." This is, according to CBS, a "sharp increase from the 43 percent reported in 2002 and the 35 percent that reported the same situation in 1995." A sociologist at John Hopkins University told USA Today that before the recent numbers were released, it was thought that the United States "has long had the shortest cohabiting relationships of any wealthy nation." And now these relationships are lengthening.

The CDC findings were calculated after following the relationships of nearly 12,300 women between the ages of 15 and 44 between 2006 and 2010. "Seventy-four percent of 30-year-olds said that they had cohabited with a partner. Fifty-five percent said they did it by the age of 25," according to CBS News.

While conventional wisdom might dictate that living together before marriage is a good idea to determine if it's possible for a couple to work together in the long run, a 2009 study reported on by NBC News found that "couples who shack up before tying the know are more likely to get divorced." In 2009, nearly 70 percent of couples cohabited before marriage—and this could lead to getting married for the wrong reasons. Feeling as if there's no way out of the bad relationship after cohabiting, the study suggested that people moved into marriage without being sure that the person was "the one." This, of course, can lead to divorce.

If you or someone you know is considering divorce, the most important first step is to seek the counsel of a family law attorney. Don't go though it alone. Contact a dedicated Austin divorce lawyer today.

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