Why marriage is better than cohabitation?

Marriage is a beautiful commitment that some people choose to take for a variety of reasons.  However, marriage rates continue to decrease, and more and more people choose to cohabitate without getting married.  With that being the case, it can be helpful to think about why marriage is better than cohabitation.  One reason marriage can be better than cohabitation is that it is more of a commitment.  That commitment can come with more security than what cohabitation can provide, which can come with many comforts.  For example, if a cohabiting couple gets into a big fight, they might quickly bring up the idea of moving out, but if a married couple gets into a big fight, they will be more likely to work through it.  Moving out for a married couple becomes way more complicated, making it more likely they will work through their issues.  That kind of obligation can seem somewhat trapping to a cohabiting couple but might feel comforting for a married couple. 

Marriage typically involves more emotional and financial investments compared to cohabitating couples.  To make the public declaration of marriage involves an emotional investment that is so much bigger.  Typically, people, including their families, in the married couple’s lives will be invested in their relationship and want them to work out.  The government even acknowledges a married couple as such.  Therefore, more people are invested in the married couple, which can make it more challenging to end.  On the other hand, having all of those people invested in your marriage can help support you through low times and help you push forward. 

Cohabitating couples might share finances around where they are living, but typically not much beyond that.  Married couples will share living expenses, but also many other types of expenses.  Married couples might have joint bank accounts, joint investments like real estate and stocks, among other types of investments. These financial investments can help reach financial life goals.  These investments can also make it harder to end the relationship because there is so much to keep a couple together.