Should We Live Together?

Cohabitation is replacing marriage as the first living together experience
for young men and women. When blushing brides walk down the aisle at
the beginning of the new millennium, well over half have already lived
together with a boyfriend.

For today’s young adults, the first generation to come of age during the
divorce revolution, living together seems like a good way to achieve some of the
benefits of marriage and avoid the risk of divorce. Couples who live together can
share expenses and learn more about each other. They can find out if their partner
has what it takes to be married. If things don’t work out, breaking up is easy to
do. Cohabiting couples do not have to seek legal or religious permission to dissolve
their union.

Not surprisingly, young adults favor cohabitation. According to surveys, most
young people say it is a good idea to live with a person before marrying.
But a careful review of the available social science evidence suggests that living
together is not a good way to prepare for marriage or to avoid divorce. What’s
more, it shows that the rise in cohabitation is not a positive family trend.
Cohabiting unions tend to weaken the institution of marriage and pose special
risks for women and children.

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