Studies show that approximately 70% of Americans choose to cohabit before marriage. Also, 50-60% of Americans believe that living together will improve their chances of having a successful marriage. 

When couples move in together without specific plans for their relationship, they increase the risk of their relationship failing. Cohabiting is often viewed as a “trial run” for marriage to see if a couple is compatible. What they don’t realize is that the “trial run” is undermining the relationship they seek to strengthen and test.

One of the most common reasons couples choose to live together before marriage is to assess their compatibility and the overall stability of their relationship. By cohabiting, couples can experience a more “real-life” version of living together, helping them understand how they function as a unit, navigate challenges, and manage responsibilities. Yet, few seem to understand that cohabitation actually increases instability in marriage.

Studies have shown that children of cohabiting couples often experience higher levels of emotional distress. The instability caused by parents’ relationships, including breakups and changes in family structure, can negatively affect children’s emotional health. “…The breakup of a cohabiting relationship is not necessarily cleaner or easier than divorce. The break up is emotionally difficult for both cohabiters, and children born to the relationship are profoundly impacted. The end of a cohabiting relationship involves the breaking up of a household with the accompanying conflicts over property, leases and debts — much the same as divorce — without a legal framework in place to resolve the disputes.”

Cohabiting couples are more likely to separate than married couples, which can lead to financial instability for children. The couples are more likely to live below the poverty line than married couples. Additionally, cohabiting parents may not have the same legal and financial protections as married couples, potentially affecting the child’s access to resources like child support or inheritance.

France follows a policy of laïcité (secularism), which aims to keep religion and government separate. This has led to laws that prohibit religious symbols—such as hijabs, crosses, and kippahs—in public institutions, causing controversy over personal freedoms. The ban on wearing “conspicuous” religious symbols began in 2004.