Name: How understanding divorce can help your marriage
Uploaded: 2020-04-08T19:48:01Z
Duration: 10 min 40 s
Description: To understand what makes marriages work, we need to talk about why they sometimes end, says family law professor Jeannie Suk Gersen. Follow along as she lays out three ways that thinking about marital decisions through the lens of divorce can help you better navigate togetherness from the beginning.

To understand what makes marriages work, we need to talk about why they sometimes end, says family law professor Jeannie Suk Gersen. Follow along as she lays out three ways that thinking about marital decisions through the lens of divorce can help you better navigate togetherness from the beginning.

How understanding divorce can help your marriage

Lasting marriages are built on honest conversations about sacrifice, shared resources, and real costs, not just romantic vows. Divorce lays bare the silent rules couples rarely discuss until it's too late. Imagining the end from the start helps people clarify what they owe, what matters most, and how to build fairer, more resilient partnerships. As one example, a couple who moved for a job and gave up family ties later saw resentment and infidelity unravel their union.