Page boy Tom Petiffer (right) glances up as he waits with bridesmaids and page boys inside Westminster Abbey before the marriage service of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, 29 April 2011.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wed at Westminster Abbey, after exchanging rings and vows.

Whether you call it “test-driving marriage,” “living together,” “shacking up” or “living in sin,” cohabitation is on the rise. Sadly, so are the consequences of sharing a home without the commitment of marriage.

So, what do you do if you’re convinced that living together is/was a bad idea, after all?

1. If you haven’t moved in together yet, don’t. Even if you think you’re the exception; that you can dodge the realities listed above, why risk it? If you “really love each other and plan to get married some day” why live together and lower your odds to 30 percent? Or if you buck that trend and do get married, why increase your likelihood of divorce 80 percent over couples who didn’t live together first?
2. If you’re already living together, end it. It doesn’t have to mean the end of your relationship. It just changes it to a more appropriate dating relationship, where you’ll be able to actually court and romance each other and work toward a possible marriage. Reclaim your singleness. Wouldn’t it be nice to be “wooed” again? You either consciously decided to live together or you drifted into it. How it happened doesn’t matter. Now, consciously decide to stop living together. Take a look at alternatives so you can afford to get out. If money’s an issue: find a roommate, move back in with your parents for a time, look for a more affordable place.Copyright © 2002, Brad Lewis. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Used by permission.