Researchers have identified what it takes for couples to live happily ever after -- and it is a lot more than just being in love.A couple's age, previous relationships -- and even whether they smoke -- are all factors that influence whether a marriage is going to last, according to researchers at the Australian National University, Sydney.
The study, entitled What's Love Got to Do With It, tracked nearly 2,500 couples -- either married or living together -- from 2001 to 2007 to identify factors associated with those who remained together compared to those who divorced or separated.
It found that a husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25.
Children also influence the longevity of a marriage or relationship, with one-fifth of couples who have children before marriage -- from a previous relationship or in the same one -- having separated compared to just 9pc of couples without children born before marriage.
Also, partners who are on their second or third marriage are 90pc more likely to separate than spouses who are both in their first marriage.
Unsurprisingly, money also plays a role, with up to 16pc of respondents who indicated they were poor or where the husband -- not the wife -- was unemployed saying they had separated, compared to only 9pc of couples with healthy finances.
Factors found not to significantly affect separation risk included the wife's employment status and the number of years the couple had been employed.
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