Marriage is a lifelong commitment. Before making the decision to spend the rest of your life with someone, it is critical to align on certain values. While opposites do attract, it is very necessary to be on the same page about key areas such as finances, career paths and parenting styles. Otherwise, it can lead to disagreements in the future that affect all parties. So here are a few key topics to discuss before potentially rushing into a marriage.

If both of you don’t want kids, great. But if you do, then figuring out parenting styles is a must. If your spouse has an entirely conflicting view on how to raise kids, then creating a healthy home environment becomes difficult. Children are a huge responsibility, and ensuring their development is a task that should not be taken lightly. Before committing, one should discuss whether they want children, and how they should be brought up in terms of beliefs to instill, extent of restrictions placed, religious values etc.

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Finances is a bit of a murky area. It may be an awkward topic to explore – it may seem selfish to highlight financial expectations, or seem like you may be leeching off your partner. However it is extremely important to discuss this topic as it will affect your quality of living in the future. Who will bear most of the finances? Will bills be split 50-50? What happens when children are involved? These are all valid questions to discuss beforehand to avoid potential financial issues.

Even if you are relatively young and decide to get married, it is vital to discuss careers. If your partner is not on the same page about working in a certain field or for a certain amount of time, it is difficult to grow together in a relationship. Similarly if they lack ambition, you may have second thoughts about entering into a lifelong commitment. However if you both support each other in your respective careers, and discuss future trajectories, it will set the foundation for a healthy bond.