Marriage and partnership

Is the institution of marriage still relevant to contemporary Australians? We are spending less time within the institution of marriage because we are marrying later, and not necessarily remaining married for life. The proportion of separated or divorced Australians has remained stable over the past decade, while the continuing increase in cohabiting offsets the continuing decrease in those living together in marriage. As a result, the overall proportion of Australians living in any kind of residential partnership has remained steady at around 60 per cent over the past decade. Why do people get married, and why do many choose de facto partnerships, which is often a pathway to marriage? Where do same-sex unions fit into the picture? Are de facto relationships more unstable than marriages? This book explores marriage and partnering trends in Australia, and offers some general advice on how to overcome relationship difficulties and successfully work at lasting couple relationships. For better or worse, marriage remains relevant to most Australians, at some stage in their lives.