‘LIVE-IN’RELATIONSHIPS-GOOD OR BAD?
For the past around a week, almost every household has been shocked to know about the gruesome killing of Shradha Walker. Many questions have been raised regarding the safety and security of the children attaining adulthood and financial independence-especially the girls. Hardly there is any parent who has not been seriously getting worried about their girls doing higher studies or working in offices locally or in other states. We must not ignore the fact that times have been changing very fast and the young
Man and woman holding hands together (Depiction of their relationship)
generation has also been becoming more independent and aspirant to be on their own as fast as possible. Earlier parents would take the decision of their children exclusively as far as their marriages were concerned and the selection of the boy or the girl would be the responsibility of parents to settle their children in life. Now things are all changed. Young boys and girls would like to spend more time with their so-called partners before taking the decision of getting married. For this they prefer living together and the percentage of such young couples is increasing very fast. To understand this big changeover-let us start understanding the Live in concept which is also called Cohabitation and its pluses and minuses.
What is the live in relation?
A live-in relationship, also known as cohabitation in some countries, is one in which two individuals who have been romantically and sexually connected as partners for a significant amount of time or permanently, choose to live together without
getting married. When they want to spend more time together and test out living together before tying the knot, many couples choose to live together. Yet queried about it, one such individual who was living with his partner in a similar arrangement prior to marriage responded, “It is weird that the phrase “Live-in” is used in India when the official and legal term is Cohabitation.” According to the Supreme Court, there is no rule that forbids premarital sex or live-in relationships. The Supreme Court reportedly made reference to Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which establishes the right to life and personal liberty as fundamental rights, when it stated that “living together is a right to survive.”
The idea of cohabitating with your partner is becoming more and more popular with today’s young, even if marriage is a more traditional and socially acceptable type of partnership between two
people. More and more couples are choosing to get to know each other well before making the commitment.
Are there any advantages of nurturing such a relationship?
When you begin living with someone full-time, you learn about each other’s tiny quirks and begin determining whether you can coexist with your partner. You can determine if this is the person and this is the life you would like after getting married after living with your partner. There is a lot of pressure on you to get married from society and even your family. There are no such roots keeping you down in live-in relationships. There are no societal pressures as a result. Without involving each other’s families, you have all the private space you require. In a live-in relationship, it is simple to leave your partner if you do not feel compatible with them sufficiently or even if you learn they
are cheating. It’s a much simpler place mentally even if not emotionally.
Many married couples struggle to agree on how to divide their finances. Is the male expected to take care of the house alone, or will they share? However, this issue does not arise when residing there. You share money evenly and establish financial boundaries because you owe each other nothing. A live-in relationship allows you the time to forge a solid connection and develop a deeper affection for one another, providing you the opportunity to go forward after your relationship has become more secure.
The biggest drawback of a live-in relationship is that it lacks commitment, not the other way around. Human connections are thought to be fragile and complicated. Couples prefer cohabitation to meet their diverse demands because of the stress and obligations that come with marriage.
Causative factors responsible for the failure of such a relationship:
Loss of trust, inadequate communication, lack of respect, a difference in priorities, and a lack of intimacy are the main causes of relationship failure.
Initial creation and convenience of such a relationship?
No doubt the initial one is the incidental meeting and then spending the time together to understand each other. Once they feel the compatibility with each other they naturally would like to spend time together for a longer period and that would provide them the convenience as well as testing phase to try out each other with a sole aim of getting married in the near future.
How much is the success rate of such relations?
In Mumbai, over 50% of couples between the ages of 22 and 28 live together. What is more concerning is that 70% of these live-in couple’s divorce within two years. Similar conditions still exist in other large cities, particularly in Bangalore and Delhi as far as India is concerned.
No law authorises or prohibits such relationships. The Supreme Court declared in Lata Singh v. State of U.P. (2006) that although live-in relationships are viewed as improper, they are not prohibited by law.
Does it affect the Psyches of the partners in both good as well as bad ways?
Numerous studies have demonstrated that people in fulfilling relationships feel happier, experience fewer health issues, and live longer. On the other hand, a lack of social connections or dysfunctional relationships is connected to depression, cognitive deterioration, and a higher risk of dying before their time.
Parental contribution in getting such relation created. More often than not, the first people you ever meet in life are your parents. They set the bar for everything, including the values you adopt, your interests, and most importantly, the way you interact with other people (both romantically and platonically).
Is it legally possible to ban it?