living together---before marriage or after marriage??

Growing up, I have seen so many marriages fail and also people staying with someone who is abusive because thay are married that I don't see marriage as such a nice thing. I think that I would rather live with someone first and then make the decision to get married later on when I was sure it was going to last. I would rather be married before having children though. Couples living together in the UK are as legal as a married couple - there is a thing called civil partnership which never involves marriage but gives both people similar rights as a married couple.

Hi-You sound like you're a bit old school. People have kids together without getting married and are very happy. You must not understand relationships very well. A husband or wife can walk out as easily as couples who aren't married. Relationships are relationships. You really think being legal makes people stay together?

Hey, i am neither living in with somebody nor married.But i don't see no issues in both form of these relationships.Like as they say,its always good to know your better half better before you tie any knots.So i favor both.

I must go on to living together after marriage, but it depends on a person what he/she want, some are living together but not yet married, because they said its better to know the attitude of a person and if there relationship will last, this is the time they will test it.

Well to be honest I have done both, I have been married 3 times so keep trying something different. My first marriage never lived with him before we were married, we were married maybe 3 years, he was abusive so of course I got a divorce. Went 12 years, got married again without living with them first, only together approximately 5 terrible, life threatening months, had to be legally seperated for 1 year before filing for divorce, my worst nightmare. Now 3rd marriage, we lived together for 4 years which were good, then we decided we would get married since we were doing so good together, well after we married he does not work, he is lazy, I worked 2 full time jobs as a RN bought this house and have made every payment, he let his mother and his 25 yr old sister move in and after they had been her for about 5-6 months they all 3 jump me, his mother grabs something not sure what beats me in the back, his sister is trying to fight me and then he (my husband) grabs me by the hair of the head and throws me out of my house and they call the police and they keep my brand new truck and I leave until they move out of my home which took 4 months, when I moved back and decided I would give him one more chance I had to make all 4 house pmts that were behind, and 4 truck pmts that were behind, etc... Now I am very much considering another divorce as he is lazy, screams, yells, and wants to fight every time his mother calls and she calls everyday. They can have this house and shove it. So my point is it does not matter whether or not you live together first before marriage, or wait until after you are married. Make sure you really know the person you are about to marry, people can and do change. I do not know how they can live a lie or hide their true selves for so long before letting their true identies out. So I urge you to know them before living together or before getting married!