Living Together Before Marriage Increases Divorce Rate, Say Divorce Lawyers in Colorado Springs

We’ve all heard the rationale behind a couple’s decision to live together before marriage.  Most proponents of this practice would argue that it helps a couple be sure they are really compatible before tying the knot.  However, after realizing how prevalent cohabitation really is, some divorce lawyers in Colorado Springshave been sharing another set of statistics.  Instead of recommending people read the Time Magazine story, “Who Needs Marriage?” these attorneys are looking at the National Center for Health Statistics’ findings. 

According to this study, couples who live together prior to getting engaged are less likely to remain married for more than 10 years than couples who start living together after marriage.  These statistics have surprised many people by invalidating the most common excuse for cohabitation.  They are also good news for divorce lawyers in Colorado Springswho may have been concerned about job security. 

People of faith, of which there are many in the Colorado Springs area, see the increase in male/female cohabitation as another “sign of the times”, or the moral decline of society, while young couple think it’s great that they can “try before they buy”.  In fact, cohabitation has become so common that most young people look at “living together” as the natural next step in a serious adult relationship.  With 60 percent of all American couples choosing to live together before marriage and younger couples choosing not to get married at all, it is easy to wonder how the institution of marriage will survive.

Looking at the statistics, it is difficult to make an argument in favor of cohabitation.  Colorado Springs divorce lawyers see more marriages end between people who started out living together than they do between couples who waited until after the wedding.  According to one researcher from the University of Denver, couples who cohabitate prior to marriage are often less concerned about the happiness of their partner because they are not on board for the “long haul”.  Also, because they already have the everyday rewards of marriage without the commitment, they tend to get married just to “make it legal.  When couples choose to live together, they can become dependent upon one another financially, another factor that can pressure them to legalize a shaky relationship. 

Whatever your reason for getting divorced or separated in Colorado, turn to the divorce lawyers in Colorado Springs from the Marrison Law Firm will be able to help.  To learn more about the topic of cohabitation before marriage, read this recent article from the blog at MarrisonLaw.com – “Divorce Lawyers in Colorado Springs Agree - Cohabitation before Marriage Increases Divorce Rate.”