Cohabitation before marriage is a major step. Basically, it means that you and your loved one are well on your way to building a committed relationship with one another and that marriage, or at least discussion of marriage, is not far off. However, many people are divided about whether or not cohabitation before marriage is a good idea. Thus, it is important to consider the pros and cons before you decide to dive into this endeavor.

Nowadays, it is normal for unmarried couples to shack up together. Today’s world is more forgiving of this. In fact, one of the major pros to cohabitation before marriage is that you can see if you and your loved one are truly compatible. Seeing one another during the week or on weekends is much different than living together, sharing expenses and seeing one another when you wake up in the morning. Thus, cohabitation is a great litmus test for what the future might hold for the two of you if you decided to marry one another.

Another pro to living with your partner before marriage is that you and your loved one can end up saving money and time. If the two of you spend most nights together, it doesn’t make much sense to keep separate residences. Additionally, it will save the two of you commuting time.

The major con to cohabitation is that you many people see it as a road test for marriage and run at the first sign of trouble. Thus, many studies have found that living together before marriage is not necessarily a good idea because it does not automatically mean that the two of you will end up together or lower the potential for divorce. In fact, some studies have even suggested that living together before marriage might increase a couple’s risk for divorce. Another major con to cohabitation before marriage is that it can lead to isolation, as one might be less inclined to seek the contact of friends and loved ones outside of the living space. Thus, it is important to talk about all of these pros and cons before you move in together.