“She Had Gained 15Kg”: 47 Strange, Sad And Shocking Reasons People Filed For Divorce

We're often urged to "try before we buy." But it turns out that this doesn't necessarily apply to marriage. Interestingly, research has found that couples who live together before tying the knot are at a higher risk of divorce than those who don't.

According to the Institute for Family Studies, couples who cohabitate before getting engaged are 48% more likely to divorce compared to those decide to live apart before marriage. The reason for this, say the experts, is because many unmarried couples move in together and don't address the elephant in the room.

"Our findings suggest that one key to reducing the risk of divorce may be either not to cohabit before marriage or to have settled the big question about marital intentions before moving in together," the researchers revealed.

The researchers said that those who moved in together to "test" the relationship or because it made sense financially were more likely to see their marriages end than those who did so because they wanted to spend more time with their partner.

The study also found that having a higher number of previous cohabitating partners (i.e., having lived with more romantic partners) is also associated with a higher risk of divorce.

“More cohabitation experience will often also mean more experience with relationships ending, which can lower barriers to divorce,” the study notes. “Although no one wants to see a marriage that is dangerous or damaging continue, many couples in marriage struggle at some point, and having a sense that one can easily move on can also mean moving toward the door too quickly in a marriage that might have succeeded with more effort.”

According to legal site ConsumerShield, more than 70% of couples cite lack of commitment as a contributing factor to their divorce. Other common reasons include too much conflict and arguing, infidelity, financial problems, domestic violence, and substance use.

Studies have also found that women are more likely to initiate a divorce, despite suffering financially during and after the process. There are various reasons for this but one expert puts it down to emotional intelligence.

Licensed couples’ therapist Gilza Fort-Martinez says men often have lower emotional intelligence than women, and this can lead to female partners feeling unsupported and doing much of the emotional labor in the relationship.

"Women also tend to gain fewer emotional benefits from marriage, which could make single life seem more appealing. While married men experience multiple perks – including living longer and earning more money – women don’t usually benefit from their relationships in the same way," reports the BBC. "Instead, they bear the brunt of household and child-rearing labour, which can leave working women overwhelmed and stressed."

The BBC adds that often, women feel they have less to lose in the divorce because in the majority of cases, mothers get primary custody of the children.