Family Law Prof Blog

From BBC:

For years, moving in with a partner was an almost sacred decision, saved for the latter stages of a relationship when partners were on track for marriage. Just a few decades ago, many couples didn’t even share a home until they tied the knot. And while this is still the case for some people today, especially within specific religions or cultures, moving in has become commonplace in countries such as the UK and US – and much less likely to be linked to assumptions about the future. 

New research from the UK provides a close look at young people’s changing behaviours and attitudes towards moving in with a romantic partner for the first time. As well as confirming younger generations are breaking the mould around past co-habiting patterns, the study’s results also indicate that the way millennials in particular feel about moving in with their first significant other is different than previous generations.

Rather than being a significant milestone on the pathway to permanency, moving in today might be more linked to convenience, says the researchers. It seems young people are continuing to dislodge old notions of what it means to be with a partner, both now and down the line – and proving that milestone moments don’t look the same as they once did.

Read more here.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/family_law/2022/05/cohabitation-today.html