The authors argue that the divorce rate is actually higher among couples who live together before marriage. They take a fundamental position that one can not practice permanence, and unless a marriage is established as permanent, a couple will not approach it the same way. The authors also suggest important principles that give couples the necessary tools for a successful marriage.

Will living together bring you closer or drive you apart? You are about to make a decision that will take your life in a totally new direction, one that will have a lasting impact on you and someone you love. If you are wrestling with that decision, now is the time to stop and set your emotions gently aside and take time to sort through your own feelings, as well as other people's opinions about what is best for you. Candid, caring, and thoughtful, Before You Live Together is uses true stories to illustrate different living-together situations and their outcomes. It also addresses the basic questions and issues you may have asked yourself, including: Is this the best way to find out if we are compatible? Why do we need a piece of paper to tell us we are committed to each other? Is it so much cheaper than paying two rents? While this book presents biblical values in a compelling and loving way, it never lectures, but instead seeks to help you decide what is best for both of you. Read it for yourself. Read it with the one you love. Read it to make the right decision at the time when it matters most.

"Notes for a lecture course and seminar at Collaege de France (1976-1977)"-- T.p

“Anyone grappling with the bewilderment of midlife…will be at once provoked and comforted by this enormously wise book” (Dani Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage), from a psychologist who has worked for decades with people struggling to preserve and enhance their marriages and long-term relationships. People today are trying to make their marriages work over longer lives than ever before. But staying married isn’t always easy. In the brilliant, transformative, and optimistic The Rough Patch, clinical psychologist Daphne de Marneffe explores the extraordinary pushes and pulls of midlife marriage, where our need to develop as individuals can crash headlong into the demands of our relationships. “A book of good intentions and helpful advice and a worthy manual for spouses” (Kirkus Reviews), The Rough Patch addresses common problems: money, alcohol and drugs, the stresses of parenthood, sex, extramarital affairs, lovesickness, health, aging, children leaving home, and dealing with elderly parents. Then, de Marneffe offers seasoned wisdom on these difficulties, explaining the psychological, emotional, and relational capacities we must cultivate to overcome them as individuals and as couples. Blending research, interviews, and clinical experience, de Marneffe dives deep into the workings of love and the structures of relationships. Intimate and always illuminating, The Rough Patch is an essential, compassionate resource for people trying to understand “where they are” on the continuum of marriage, giving them a chance to share in other people’s stories and struggles. “De Marneffe writes with poetry, wit, and compassion about the necessity of struggle in the quest for true love. Anyone in any relationship at any stage of life could stand to learn from the wisdom in these pages” (Andrew Solomon, National Book Award-winning author of Far from the Tree).

Offers a biblical perspective on the explosive and growing social phenomena of couples moving in together instead of marrying - a common trend even among Christian couples. Full of biblical, practical, and competent help for those who minister to and counsel unwed couples.

Unmarried to Each Other is a smart, practical guide for unmarried couples, based on the more than 100 stories and real-life experiences of unmarried partners around the country. This book was written by a couple who, themselves, are in a committed nine-year unmarried relationship. For people who are unmarried now or forever, the book is filled with information about the joys and the common challenges to love without wedding rings, including answers to questions like: Is living together right for us? How can we explain our relationship to our grandmothers? How can I get my workplace to provide health benefits to my domestic partner? Are there problems for couples who have kids without being married? How can we plan a wedding or ceremony without getting legally married? Filled with dozens of funny, real-life stories and savvy insights, Unmarried to Each Other is the definitive resource for couples bound by love, if not by marriage, for one of the fastest-growing household types in the U.S. today.

Based on the presentations and discussions from a national symposia, Just Living Together represents one of the first systematic efforts to focus on cohabitation. The book is divided into four parts, each dealing with a different aspect of cohabitation. Part I addresses the big picture question, "What are the historical and cross cultural foundations of cohabitation?" Part II focuses specifically on North America and asks, "What is the role of cohabitation in contemporary North American family structure?" Part III turns the focus to the question, "What is the long- and short-term impact of cohabitation on child well-being?" Part IV addresses how cohabiting couples are affected by current policies and what policy innovations could be introduced to support these couples. Providing a road map for future research, program development, and policymaking. Just Living Together will serve as an important resource for people interested in learning about variations in the ways families of today are choosing to organize themselves.