Introduction: This paper will focus on couples choosing to live together before marriage. The couple has already decided to get married, opposed to a couple living together and subsequently deciding to get married.

My stand on whether or not a couple should live together is the choice of the couple and should not be a matter of they should or should not do so. I however, am not necessarily an advocate stating couples must live together after they have decided to get married, but rather I am in no way opposed to couples living together before marriage and do not feel there is anything wrong with it. I will explain why living together before marriage is beneficial. My views on the subject are a result of my personal experience. I know of successful and unsuccessful marriages when the couple lived together before marriage. Any subject of discussion will of course have two sides, proponents and detractors.

Detractors of premarital cohabitation list several reasons for why couples should not live together prior to marriage. Some of the reasons are described a "myths" .

I believe the ramifications of divorce would be far more painful than calling off a marriage. When a divorce occurs, a much larger investment (spiritual and financial) in one's life is lost, compared to calling off a marriage. Both are likely to be painful however.

To summarize, there is no formula or procedure a couple can go through that will guarantee a marriage will last. Having knowledge about any endeavor is the key to it being successful. Marriage is a serious endeavor, and the more knowledge one has regarding his/her partner is an important aspect. That extra knowledge can help to solidify the commitment to marriage or the chance to "get out before it's too late". Whatever amount of knowledge you have about your partner, you will have more of it living together.

Regardless of what some "experts" or religions may preach, sex is an important part of the bond between couples. If your partner is a "dud", it is best to work that out before your marriage rather than after. Living together I believe will lead to more sexual encounters, and again lead to more knowledge of your partner.

Generally speaking, to become good at something you must practice what it is you want to do. By living together before marriage, each partner has the opportunity to practice being married. During this "practice" period, let's say one partner discovers some trait or characteristic that is extremely bothersome. This gives the couple or pe

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Approximate Word count = 977
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)