Having a happy marriage starts long before you say “I do” … it helps if you choose your partner very carefully, to give you the best chance of success!

Marriage can be a wonderful experience, but with as many as a third of all Australian marriages ending in divorce, it can also go terribly wrong.

Of course you will be in love before heading down the path to matrimony. But love can indeed be blind.

Before saying “yes”, take some time to think about it. After all it is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make!

It might not sound very romantic, but try to put aside the feelings of love and look at your  prospective partner with an objective eye. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

  • Does your partner treat you well?
  • What about the way they treat their parents and family members?
  • Are they kind to animals?
  • Do they pay their bills on time?
  • Are they punctual?
  • Do they honour their commitments?
  • What is their employment history like?
  • What about children – are you both on the same page about a family?
  • What are their faults? You could be living with them for a long, long time!

It might sound a little cold and calculating, but it could prevent an expensive – and heartbreaking – mistake.