Most couples choose cohabitation before marriage because of practicality. Sharing bills without the cost of marriage is promising. People who share a room or a house are not considered cohabitants. They should have an agreement to live together and please each other. And a mutual understanding of gratifying each other’s passionate and sexual needs. Some people consider cohabitation as a taboo and hold marriage in extraordinary regard. Cohabitation is not proven to have a high tendency to divorce. You can ask your divorce lawyer Houston for aid on divorce. Here are some of the pros and cons of cohabitation. Decide for yourself whether cohabitation before marriage is better or not.
Pros
- Sharing liabilities while having individuality
Cohabitation will mean sharing expenses. Some of these are rentals or mortgage fees, electric bills, and others. It also includes meals and even daily household fees. You can live like a married couple without worrying about a legal contract. It allows people to go their separate ways once they feel that they can no longer live together. It will save money and time because you will not need to file for divorce.
- Knowing each other better
Staying with each other will give you a chance to check your compatibility. You will get an idea of how the other person is before getting into marriage. There will be plenty of time to understand one another and test the waters.
- More intimacy
Cohabiting couples tend to have more intimate contact compared to those in marriage. They take certain precautions. They ensure that their sexual relationship will not cause them any children. This gives them fewer barriers to intimacy.
- More bonding opportunities
Couples manage to bond over weekends or during free time. Cohabiting couples do not have to worry about this. They can create opportunities to increase their bond anytime they want.
- Protection of property
Cohabiting couples do not have to worry about the division of properties. Couples decide on specific things before they cohabit with each other. This includes decisions about property insurance and property division. Cohabiting couples will not worry about alimony.
Cons
- No guarantee of a permanent relationship
This will give you more headaches when you have children. Cohabitation does not create commitments that encourage people to work out their issues. Child custody will also be an intense battle for cohabiting couples.
- Uncertainty of relationship
Couples decide each day whether they should stay or go. There is less certainty in couples who cohabit. There are fewer restrictions and these make leaving easier. The future does not offer much clarity for cohabiting couples. They have less emotional and sexual connections.
- Less money earned
Cohabiting couples save on legal contract costs. But it causes them to miss the advantages of marriage. Spouses do not pay an estate tax. Tax-rate differs for married couples and they can file for joint tax. Health care benefits, insurance and such benefits transfer to spouses. Health insurance costs are also lower for married couples.
- Difficult to secure your estate
Cohabiting couples save on legal contract costs. But it causes them to miss the advantages of marriage. Spouses do not pay an estate tax. Tax-rate differs for married couples and they can file for joint tax. Health care benefits, insurance and such benefits transfer to spouses. Health insurance costs are also lower for married couples.
There are always risks involved with any relationship. There are good reasons to get married. There are also good reasons to cohabit. It all depends on the couples involved. Statistics do not matter in this case.
