Family Law

New Study Says Cohabitation Does Not Increase Chance of Divorce

By Ben Stevens

Conventional wisdom has always thought that living together before marriage increases a couple's chances of divorce, and several studies have reached the same conclusion.  However, a new study published in the National Council of Family Relations claims that cohabiting allows young people to get to know their potential mates and evaluate compatibility before they commit to marriage.

Pamela Smock, a University of Michigan sociologist and co-author of this study, said "People want to marry, but they aren't going to do it without finding out enough about the person they are thinking about marrying.  They want to find out all the secrets and all the things that might be deal-breakers in order to avoid the risk of divorce."

Source:  "Cohabitating May Not Increase Risk of Divorce" by Kim Kozlowski, published in The Detroit News.

Full post as published by SC Family Law Blog on August 28, 2009 (boomark / email).