We don't like admitting how often people discover, after several years of marriage, that they are trapped in a mediocre or even awful marriage. Though this book urges extreme caution about marrying and bringing children into the world, it does not necessarily advocate the single life. Instead, it argues that the potential benefits of marriage and family be weighed against its considerable legal and financial risk. Ideally, this book should allow young adults to anticipate potential problems and to form reasonable expectations about marriage and family. Hopefully, this will create stronger families and spare at least a few children the pain of their parents' divorce.