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NewsCohabitation prior to marriage 'increases likelihood of divorce'
Cohabitation prior to marriage 'increases likelihood of divorce'
If people live together before getting married, they are more likely to get divorced.
This is according to researchers at the University of Denver, who found that a fifth of those who lived together prior to marriage had since suggested divorce.
In comparison, 12 per cent of couples who moved in together after becoming engaged and ten per cent of those who did not cohabit before getting married had suggested getting a legal separation.
Dr Galena Rhoades, a psychologist who was involved in the study, said that the reason for this trend may be that couples who live together first may decide to get hitched due to practical factors as opposed to a genuine desire to.
The expert likened this to "sliding" into matrimony.
Recently, former leader of the Conservative party Iain Duncan Smith suggested that couples seeking a divorce should be made to wait for a period of three months before one could be granted.
He called this a "cooling off" period, the BBC reported.
20/07/2009 14:58
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