Love not enough to make marriages work

Living happily ever after needn’t only be for fairy tales. Researchers have identified what it takes to keep a couple together, and it’s a lot more than just being in love.

A couple’s age, previous relationships and even whether they smoke or not are factors that influence whether their marriage is going to last, according to a study by researchers from the Australian National University.

The study tracked 2,500 couples — married or living together —from 2001 to 2007 to identify factors associated with those who remained together compared with those who divorced or separated.

It found that a husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25.

Children also influence the longevity of a marriage or relationship, with one-fifth of couples who have kids before marriage having separated compared to just 9% of couples without children born before marriage.

Women who want children much more than their partners are also more likely to get a divorce. Also, partners who are on their second or third marriage are 90% more likely to separate than spouses who are both in their first marriage.

Money also plays a role, with up to 16% of respondents who indicated they were poor or where the husband — not the wife — was unemployed saying they had separated, compared to 9% of couples with healthy finances.