Even when the unmarried couples cohabit they either prefer to remain anonymous or pose themselves as married couple.

While couples of all ages cohabit, the phenomenon is much more common among younger people.

Some couples cohabit as a way to experience married life before they are actually married.

In less than a year Gian Gastone left his wife for Prague, thence resuming residence in Florence, and the couple never again cohabited.

However, the couple cohabited and were socially accepted as husband and wife.

Although some 2million couples now cohabit rather than marry, the Government recently abandoned plans to give them improved legal rights should they split up.

Can I raise my kids in a neighborhood where unmarried couples cohabit?

In Nova Scotia, a couple must cohabit for two years in a marriage-like relationship, and may not have been married to another person during this time.