At the very least you need to speak about this with each other well before getting married.

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Up to half of them have lived together before getting married.

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But Munira Ezzeldine, the author of "Before the Wedding: 150 Questions for Muslims to Ask Before Getting Married, " says that many of these are "fly-by-night Shahaadas, " professions of faith that are not sincere and are simply made to please the families or religious authorities.

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They wait years before declaring a major, date someone for years before getting married, favor stores with a guaranteed return policy (think Zappos), and hire employees on a temporary basis (or use probationary periods), all in order to avoid commitments that can be difficult, or nearly impossible, to un-do.

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People who were married for at least 10 years before getting divorced "earned a lot of rights that those in married couples have in terms of spousal benefits and survivor benefits, " Mr. Mahaney says.

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After we were married, we still had to wait 8 months before even getting an interview so she could get her visa.

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Mr. Klein then briefly married Diandra Douglas, the ex-wife of actor Michael Douglas, before getting back together with Ms. Klein.

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Before 1973, a voting card was essential for everyday business, from cashing a cheque to getting married.

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