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We've put this website together because we think that marriage isn't made enough of in the 21st century. We want to give a voice to all who support the ideal of lifelong marriage. In Britain, that represents about two-thirds of all couples whose marriages, contrary to popular belief, don't end in divorce.
The classic definition of marriage in English law is: "The voluntary union of one man and one woman for life, to the exclusion of all others". That just about sums it up.
Is marriage, then, a life sentence? No, because the longer you stay with someone, the better you get to know them; and therein lies the way to greater happiness and contentment. In effect, you find yourself through someone else. Trust and mutual affection give rise to security, a sense of identity and belonging, and a fruitful family life. These are some of the best gifts on earth. It is what being human is all about.
At Marriages for Life, we are passionate about keeping people together. Why? Because divorce is a mishap you wouldn't wish on your best friend. It lays waste to self-esteem, plays havoc with home and possessions, and leaves a trail of broken relationships, not least between children and the missing parent. It has been estimated that one in three children of divorce lose contact with the other parent after the divorce. That's a sobering statistic. Then there's the issue of losing one's extended family - grandparents, uncles and aunts, and so on.
All this can be avoided if, instead of heading for the nearest door marked 'Exit', married people work on their relationship and say to each other "You are more important to me than the difficulties we're going through at the moment".
Sometimes people may need outside help to objectivise in this way. In fact, we think it would be great idea if, at the outset of the marriage, people signed a pact promising that, in the event of trouble, they will not head off to a divorce lawyer, but instead go to a trusted family friend or independent arbitrator who will give a verdict on what went wrong, enabling the couple to draw a line under it and move on.
Our philosophy can be summed up in five words: "If it's broke, fix it".