Couples who marry before starting a family are far more likely to stay together than those marrying or cohabiting after the birth of a child, according to new research carried out in the UK by the Marriage Foundation.
Tracking the changes in tens of thousands of British homes over time, the Marriage Foundation analysed a sample cohort of 1,800 mothers with at least one mid-teen child in 2010. Of this cohort, 62% were married before having children, 16% were married after the birth of a child or children, while 14% lived with their child’s father but never married. The remaining 8% had not formed any relationship with the child’s father. The cohort was then cross-referenced with birth registration figures of 15 years earlier.

Seventy-six percent of mothers who married before giving birth remained intact 15 years on from the birth of their child compared to 44% of those who married after the birth of their child and 31% of those who never married.

The Marriage Foundation further pointed out that, according to its study, factors often examined in marital and cohabitation studies, such as parental age when having children, or educational level, had only marginal impact on the endurance of a relationship.
Unveiling the study, its author, Harry Benson said of the findings: “It stands to reason that there’s one system that works best. It’s one that worked for years.
“The message of this research is clear. For any couple thinking of having children, their best chance of staying together in the long run is by getting married first.”

The study in full can be found here.