The Impact of Couple Related Circumstances on the Continuity of Living Apart Together Relationships in Germany. An Analysis of Two Waves from the “Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics” (PAIRFAM)

Juergen Dorbritz, Federal Institute for Population Research, Germany
Robert Naderi, Federal Institute for Population Research, Germany

Living Apart Together relationships (LAT) are gaining attention in recent time because of increasing quantity compared to other types of unions. Currently the overall proportion is nearly as high as unmarried cohabitation in Germany. The reasons for that can be found in growing job-related needs for mobility and flexibility, but also in the desire for intimate relationships and individual independency at the same time. The main question for this paper is: which factors and circumstances are explanatory that people stay as LAT couple, dissolute the relationship or let it become cohabitation. We aim to analyze if changes in the couple based definition of the relationship lead to changes in the type of relationship. On the other hand it has to be proved if there are typical economic and job-related circumstances of both partners, which restrict the freedom to choose how to live: together in one household or not.