marriage. But cohabitation does not lead to marriage in the
majority of cases; among cohabitors who do marry, their
chances of divorce are actually increased. No one has ever found
that cohabitation makes a positive contribution to later marital
stability.
Four Reasons Why Cohabitation Increases the Chance of
Divorce
There are several
reasons why
cohabiting increases a
couple's chances of
divorce: First, people
willing to live
together are more
unconventional than
others and tend to be
less committed to
marriage as an
institution. These two factors make it easier for them to leave a
marriage later if it becomes unsatisfying. Marriage, after all, is a
unique relationship that assumes a vow of permanence. Most
cohabitors fear, or are not ready for, such a permanent
relationship. For them, according to The Case for Marriage, an
important new book by Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher,
cohabitation's biggest attraction is the relatively easy exit with
JOY FEELINGS