Divorce usually signals the end of a relationship, but not always the end of living together. A new report from the Wall Street Journal highlights a growing trend: couples who continue to share a home even after the marriage is over.
Local divorce attorney Stephen Rue says it’s an arrangement he sees more often than many would think. The reasons, he explains, are rarely about reconciliation.
“Many couples simply can’t maintain the same lifestyle apart,” Rue said. “Housing costs, mortgages, and today’s unpredictable real estate market mean some people stand to lose too much financially by moving out.”
The report finds some couples with low mortgage rates often don't want to lose their two percent loans, so they continue living on the property, even when they don't want to stay together.
Some get a trailer and one of them moves out of the house, but stays on the property.
But in Louisiana, there’s another unique challenge; the law. Under state statute, divorcing couples must live separately before the divorce can be finalized. And Rue stresses that means living in two different dwellings, not just separate bedrooms. The different dwellings must be for six months, or a full year if there are minor children.
That legal requirement can force couples into tough decisions. For some, the year-long wait becomes an emotional and financial strain. For others, staying in the home together is a temporary attempt to hold on until the process is complete.
Still, Rue warns that cohabitating post-divorce is a tough challenge. “At some point, the only option is to cut your losses and move on,” he said.
As housing prices and the cost of living continue to rise, experts say this trend of “divorced roommates” may not be going away anytime soon especially in states like Louisiana, where the law makes moving on even more complicated.