Divorce rates are falling at least for people under 45. However, the divorce rate has doubled for those over 55 and tripled for those over 65. Divorce rates are falling.

This means fewer divorces. However, it also means more people living together before marriage.

Divorce rates are falling. This means fewer divorces. However, it also means more people living together before marriage.

More People Are Living Together Before Marriage. It is true that divorce rates have fallen among those under 40. However, the divorce rate among those 40 to 45 has plummeted.

According to a study conducted by the National Marriage Project, approximately 40 percent of couples in their early 20s got divorced, compared with only 6 percent of couples in their late 20s.

And by the time they were 55, a full 50 percent of couples were divorced. So it's clear that divorce rates in Florida are changing for some people. However, only in certain situations do more people live together before marriage.

People Are Living Together Before Marriage to Avoid Divorce. Another trend that has emerged in recent years is the "premarital cohabitation" (or cohabitation before marriage) trend.

In 2013, there was a significant increase in cohabitation. Researchers at the CDC believe that this may be attributed mostly to people's perceptions of legal challenges related to cohabiting before marriage. Cohabitation is defined as living together before marriage. Researchers cite several reasons for this development in 2013. The economic downturn and higher divorce rates may have played a role. But more likely, it is a recognition by some people that they need to protect the emotional well-being of their romantic partner(s) and they want to avoid the complications that would arise from a contentious divorce.

The trend toward cohabitation is a recent phenomenon. But as time goes by, and as marriage has a diminishing role in American culture, more people will likely live together before marriage.

People Are Living Together before Marriage to Avoid Family Contingencies. Another trend that has emerged in recent years is the "premarital cohabitation" (or cohabitation before marriage) trend. If a family's marital or financial status changes, some Americans are choosing to live together to avoid any potential marital and/or financial contingencies.

According to a 2013 report from the National Institute on Family and Marriage, an estimated 40 percent of cohabiting mothers lived with their children before marriage, and 41 percent of cohabiting fathers lived with their children before marriage. In the next ten years, the share of cohabiting mothers will nearly double and cohabiting fathers will almost triple.

This trend is not unique to America... In 2009, almost 60 percent of those under age 24 cohabitated before going out to live with their parents, according to a similar report by a Pew Research Center.

There is also data that women are more likely than men to cohabitate before marriage. In 2009, about 60 percent of women cohabited before marrying, compared with about 40 percent of men.

A 2014 report from the University of Kentucky's Population Research Center finds that married women are more likely to cohabit before marriage than unmarried women. It appears married women are prioritizing emotional security, while unmarried women are prioritizing economic security.