Separate Living Increasing Worldwide
- The traditional image of marriage often involves sharing a home.
- Margaret and Peter's story exemplifies this trend. For the last 15 years, Margaret has lived in the United Kingdom while Peter resides in Australia.
- the acronym LAT - Living Apart Together - is increasingly used to describe these relationships.
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Living Apart Together: A Growing Trend?
The traditional image of marriage often involves sharing a home. Tho, a growing number of couples are choosing a different path: Living Apart Together (LAT). This arrangement, where partners are in a committed relationship but maintain seperate residences, is gaining visibility, with even high-profile couples embracing the lifestyle.
Margaret and Peter’s story exemplifies this trend. For the last 15 years, Margaret has lived in the United Kingdom while Peter resides in Australia. Despite the significant distance and infrequent visits – ranging from once a year to every 18 months – they describe themselves as a “faithful and happy couple.” Margaret shared her experience on the BBC’s Woman’s Hour, highlighting the fulfilling aspects of maintaining her independence while remaining married.
the acronym LAT - Living Apart Together – is increasingly used to describe these relationships. However,it’s still a relatively uncommon arrangement,with official figures indicating that only 3% of married or civil union couples live separately.
Margaret believes a fulfilling marriage doesn’t necessarily require a shared home. She is not alone in this view. Several prominent couples have publicly discussed their decision to live apart.
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Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and screenwriter/director Brad Falchuk initially maintained separate homes during the early years of their marriage, a decision paltrow credits with helping to sustain their relationship. Similarly,model Ashley Graham and her husband,Justin Ervin,navigated a long-distance relationship with separate residences. Even Helena Bonham Carter and Tim burton lived apart for 13 years during their relationship.
More recently, Sheryl lee Ralph, star of Abbott Elementary, revealed that she and her husband have lived on opposite coasts of the United States for nearly 20 years, due to their respective careers – Ralph in Hollywood and her husband as a State Senator of Pennsylvania.