How to make your marriage go the distance

A new survey has revealed advice from happily married couples on how to make your relationship work after saying "I do"

Communication and compromise are the key factors to a happy marriage, new research by family law firm Brookman Solicitors has revealed.

Collating the views of 1,005 married individuals - 76% of which had been married for more than 20 years - the survey shed light on their personal experiences of marriage to date, common problems faced and what advice they would give to newly-weds.

A staggering 85% of respondents felt that people gave up on marriage too easily these days, with 74% of those surveyed admitting that they faced significant troubled points or difficulties during their marriage. These included:

1. Financial pressures (20%)
2. Illness (13%)
3. Poor communication (9%)
4. Disagreements over raising children (9%)
5. Time apart caused by work (7%)

However, when asked how they overcame these difficulties, communication (26%) and compromise (24%) came out on top, followed by 'not reacting' (17%), counseling (9%) and 'improving their work situation' (7%). 

Offering their words of wisdom to sustaining a happy marriage, the respondents gave the following advice:

1. Communicate (14%)
2. Respect (9%)
3. Compromise (9%)
4. Honesty (8%)
5. Don't sweat the small stuff (8%)
6. Make time for each other (8%)
7. Patience (8%)
8. Don't ignore problems (7%)
9. Listen (7%)
10. Work at it (7%)

Commenting on the findings, Henry Brookman of Brookman Solicitors, said: "The overwhelming advice given by the couples we surveyed was simply to just keep talking and to tackle problems as and when they occur, so that you can move on with a long, happy and fulfilled married life.”