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A review of the research literature from 1980 to the present on the premarital predictors of re-marrying couples' relationship satisfaction and quality (Falk & Larson, 2007) concluded that the major factors predicting lower re-marriage quality include:
Exploring relationship roles and a remarrying couple’s expectations about how decision making and responsibilities will be shared is vital, and assists understanding each others preferences for traditional or equalitarian roles in their relationship.
In 2010 David Olson, Amy Olson-Sigg & Peter Larson carried out a study in the US using >50 thousand premarital couples (both partners), whose marriages were about to create a stepfamily. The survey identified the top twelve Remarriage Stumbling Blocks.
Encouraging remarrying couples to discuss their expectations with regards to children and their career, what happens now, how that might change and more importantly how the couple and their children might feel about those changes is critical.
Step families and remarrying couples enjoy the many benefits of married life together, but they also face many challenges of raising children and balancing family ex-partner visits as well as communicating effectively and resolving the issues involved with running a household, parenting and managing finances.
