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What to Do Before You Say 'I Do'
EAGAN, Minn., Oct. 10 -- Love and commitment may be fine, but what else should couples talk about BEFORE they get married? A new survey by the legal Web site FindLaw.com says people think families and children and how to handle finances are the most important issues for couples to discuss prior to getting married.
Nearly 2.5 million couples will get married this year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. About 1.2 million couples will get a divorce. The FindLaw.com survey asked 1,000 American adults what the most important issues are for couples to discuss prior to getting married.
| Families and children | 36% |
| How to handle finances | 32% |
| Religion | 19% |
| Work/Life issues | 7% |
| Health | 2% |
| Property | 1% |
| No opinion | 2% |
"It's great to be in love and find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with," says Stacy Phillips, a family law attorney in California. "But couples need to ask each other some practical questions about their goals, dreams and plans for how life is going to work after they get married.
"They need to ask questions like 'Do we want children?' 'How will it affect our home life and our careers?' 'Who will pay the bills?' 'Will we have a joint checking account?'. People are increasingly getting married later in life, and need to decide how they will handle outstanding debts and accumulated assets such as houses, investments and retirement accounts."
The survey found no great differences between the sexes: both men and women agree on what the most important issues are. However, the voice of experience apparently has something to say: people who have gone through a divorce are more likely to say that financial issues are the most important topic for couples to discuss before they tie the knot.
More information on marriage and money, including an "Are You Ready to Get Married Test," can be found at FindLaw.com ( http://family.findlaw.com/marriage/ ).
NOTE TO EDITORS: The survey questioned a demographically balanced sample of 1,000 American adults by telephone, and results are accurate to plus or minus three percent. The survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs.
About Thomson FindLaw
Thomson FindLaw (www.findlaw.com) is the leading provider of online legal information and solutions for the legal community, businesses and individuals. According to comScore Media Metrix, a leading independent Web usage reporting service, the FindLaw.com Internet portal is the highest-trafficked legal Web site with 3.7 million unique monthly users - three times more than its closest competitor. The site provides comprehensive, plain-English legal information to businesses and individuals. These resources include West Legal Directory©, the Internet's largest directory of lawyers and legal professionals. FindLaw.com also offers comprehensive information, resources and services for law practice and legal career development, including free case law, an online career center, breaking legal news, newsletters, message boards, service directories, continuing legal education and legal search tools. In addition, Thomson FindLaw provides access to tools and services that help connect legal professionals with potential clients. Thomson FindLaw is a business within The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC)