Premarital Cohabitation and Subsequent Marital Stability

Abstract

Is it a good idea for couples who intend to get married to live together first? The findings have been mixed. This article re-examines the links between premarital cohabitation and the stability of the subsequent marriage. The sample was derived from three national random sample surveys: wave one (2001) of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, conducted by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research; the Australian Life Course Survey (ALCS), conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies in 1996; and wave one of the Negotiating the Life Course Survey (NLCS), conducted by the Australian National University in 1997.