Marriage is a big commitment to enter into. You’re giving your life to someone else and promising to be there for that person forever. It can be scary, especially with the high rates of divorce, but being realistic about things can help ensure you have a strong relationship. Here are a few things you should discuss prior to walking down the aisle. 

Will You Have Kids?

Although you don’t necessarily need to plan out how many you’ll have and when you’ll have them, it’s a good idea to know whether your partner wants children at all. If you are going to have kids, you may want to think about going to a Jacksonville family law firm and having a will drawn up. You’ll want to decide who will raise them if anything happens to you and your spouse. 

Where Will You Live?

Are you planning on finding a new place together, or are you going to move into one of your current homes? You may also want to talk about where you want to settle down. What would you do if one of you got a big job promotion, but it required you to move to another state?

Who Handles the Money?

You should talk about whether you plan to have separate accounts or joint accounts. Figure out who is going to pay the bills and do your taxes. You may also want to go ahead and sit down a make a budget together.

It may seem easier to ignore these big decisions and just enjoy the bliss of the engagement phase, but putting these discussions off until after the wedding can end up being disastrous. If you aren’t sure how to approach these topics, consider attending premarital counseling. After all, it’s best to know what you’re getting into before you take the big leap.