It may surprise you what researchers Alan Booth,  Paul Amato and colleagues at Penn State found to be important predictors of divorce when they studied long term marriage and divorce.

1) Couples who do NOT own a house. House owners are less likely to divorce. Owning represents commitment and stabilizes relationships. Think about it. House owners may be reluctant to sell or divide the property. So owning a house may help a couple avoid divorce.

2) Intergenerational transmission of divorce. If your parents divorced, it is twice as likely that you will divorce. This is one of the strongest risk factors. Sometimes this is due to a lack of skills regarding conflict, dealing with emotions compromising, etc. So if you didn’t have great role models for interpersonal skills in marriage, go to seminars, be open to changes and learn to better communicate and meet the needs of your spouse.

3) Living together. Couples who live together prior to marriage report more problems and are more likely to think about divorce. Living together does not help create a stronger marriage like so many people think.