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Going for living together rather than living in? Jasmine Birtles warns that you should take certain precautions Time was when couples met, courted, talked to the parents, got engaged and married before they moved in together or bought a house. Now, though, the majority of couples start living together long before they marry and many never bother marrying at all. This free and easy way of living works for some, but be warned - the 'easy in, easy out' relationship can be seriously damaging to your wealth, let alone your emotional stability.

Time was when couples met, courted, talked to the parents, got engaged and married before they moved in together or bought a house. Now, though, the majority of couples start living together long before they marry and many never bother marrying at all. This free and easy way of living works for some, but be warned - the 'easy in, easy out' relationship can be seriously damaging to your wealth, let alone your emotional stability.

For a start, research shows that couples who cohabit are far more likely to split up than those who are married. A recent report from the think-tank Civitas found that 85 per cent of married couples stay together for longer than ten years, while only 18 per cent of cohabiting couples manage even that length of time.

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