Marriages are lasting longer: good news for Lisa Vazzocchi and Nick Milevski, who are getting married in November. Marriages are lasting longer: good news for Lisa Vazzocchi and Nick Milevski, who are getting married in November. Photo: Justin McManus
MARRIED couples relieved to have survived the ''seven-year-itch'' may be disappointed to learn that marital strife could, in fact, be just around the corner.
An Australian Institute of Family Studies report shows the average length of time from marriage to separation is now 8.7 years, up from 7.5 years in 1980. The average period from marriage to divorce also increased from 10.2 years to 12.3 years.

The good news is that marriages, on average, are lasting longer. The report Trends in Couple Dissolution also showed that the proportion of marriages lasting less than 10 years fell during the most recent decades, from 49 per cent in 1990 to 43 per cent in 2000 and 41 per cent in 2009.
And the proportion of marriages lasting at least 20 years increased from 20 per cent in 1980 to 24 per cent in 2000 and 28 per cent in 2009.
The report's co-author, Lixia Qu, said the reason marriages were lasting longer could be attributed to several factors, including the fact that couples were typically marrying later and often lived together as a ''trial marriage'' before choosing to wed.
''I think the fact that people tend to be marrying at a later age is an important factor because this usually means they are more mature and perhaps better equipped to cope with marriage,'' Ms Qu said.
''I also think people are more cautious about committing to marriage than they have been previously.
''These days you don't necessarily have to get married before you live with someone or have children, so it's no longer something you should or have to do but something couples want to do. So it's more selective rather than automatic.''
Zoran Pandilovski, 36, who married his high school sweetheart, Elaine, just over eight years ago, said he was not concerned about a looming 8.7-year itch.
''I think, for us, the first year was probably the toughest because we were negotiating our roles and responsibilities in the marriage,'' he said.
''We've since had a little boy and that, of course, adds even more pressure to a relationship. But I think now that we've made it this far we are pretty well-equipped to work our way through any problems that might arise.''
The report, which looks at trends in cohabitation as well as marriage, also shows that the likelihood of cohabiting relationships ending in separation within five years (25-38 per cent) was three to five times more likely than a marriage ending in divorce within five years (7-9 per cent).
This bodes well for Lisa Vazzocchi and Nick Milivski, both 26, who are due to marry this year. The couple will not move in together until they wed, but do not expect too many surprises.
''We've been together for six years now so I think we know each other pretty well, including each other's flaws and bad habits,'' Ms Vazzocchi said.
''I'm sure it won't be all smooth sailing, but it's something we've spent a lot of time talking about and it's a commitment we haven't taken lightly.''