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Couples in Mexico City could soon be able to forgo the divorce process if they choose to end their marriage within its first two years according to reports.

The bill’s creator, Lizbeth Rosas Montero, has claimed that this would allow couples to sample living together before making a lifetime commitment, adding that she believed that these changes, if agreed, would result in a reduction in the city’s divorce rates. It’s an interesting idea, but it’s also completely unnecessary.

Research from the Office for National Statistics has revealed that more and more couples are now living together before marriage and, in turn, fewer and fewer marriages are now ending in divorce. This research may have been conducted in the UK, but its findings are relevant on a global scale. In fact, the findings contained within the report led me to conclude that if we genuinely want to see fewer marriages end in divorce, then we must encourage couples to live together before making the decision to walk down the aisle.

Critics of cohabitation may continue to argue that the institution of marriage has been damaged as a result of it now being socially acceptable for couples to live together before marriage, but as the aforementioned study has shown, this is simply not the case. Also, what would be more debilitating to this institution; cheapening marriage by turning it into a trial period or simply allowing couples to live together and ensure that they’re compatible before marrying? I think it’s a no brainer.

So, the logical way to reduce the divorce rate is to not only allow, but to encourage couples to live together before they marry; the first step being the introduction of new laws that protect their interests.