In the New York Times online -- "The Downside of Cohabitating Before Marriage"

An excerpt from the article:

"Moving from dating to sleeping over to sleeping over a lot to cohabitation can be a gradual slope, one not marked by rings or ceremonies or sometimes even a conversation. Couples bypass talking about why they want to live together and what it will mean.

WHEN researchers ask cohabitors these questions, partners often have different, unspoken � even unconscious � agendas. ... One thing men and women do agree on, however, is that their standards for a live-in partner are lower than they are for a spouse."