The practice of "marrying up" might be looked down upon by some, but when you're talking age, it might be the key to a happy marriage. A recent study showed that the couples who were happiest and had the lowest divorce rate were those where the woman was at least five years younger than her husband -- and when she's better educated. More from Lemondrop: A Rose a Day Keeps the Divorce Lawyer Away

But it doesn't work both ways. The same study claims that when the wife is older by five or more years, the couple is three times … Read More

Dating someone new means learning about each other's quirky behaviors, emotional baggage, and the past experiences that have shaped both of your lives. But what if this involves a health or medical secret you're hesitant to talk about?

Jill*, a 33-year-old from New York City, knows that finding Mr. Right also means telling him that she has bipolar disorder. Though she takes medication to manage her condition, she still lives with residual symptoms: She has trouble sleeping for more than two hours at a time, and can't shake her cigarette habit—traits that she feels a date might question.

"It's the smoking … Read More

The first time I met my now-close friend Gina, she was rhapsodizing about her awesome boyfriend, Eugene. After a few minutes, I realized I'd already met him. But he wasn’t the sweetheart she was describing.

I was familiar with Eugene because the weekend before he had propositioned me in a particularly crude manner.  I realized I had two choices: tell her what kind of loathsome dirtbag she was dating or keep my mouth shut in the hopes that she'd someday figure it out on her own.

I went with Option A. I told Gina that she could do much better than that … Read More

Being a newly married couple involves adjusting to life as husband and wife, reminiscing about your nuptials, and sorting through what presents to keep and which to return—rarely does it involve preparing for the relationship to end. The sad reality, though, is that the lifespan of a marriage can be shorter than that of the loan taken out for a young couple's new house.

As the child of a divorced family, I got to see first-hand how lawyer bills stack up and how a woman's scorn can lead to a man sleeping in a car without money, food or change … Read More

Arielle Ford discusses her book The Soulmate Secret, which helps you find the love of your life using the law of attraction. Vision boards, positive thinking and lists help to keep your mind where your heart is. Watch for tips on how to become soulmate-ready!

It's definitely not the type of light and airy chat you want to strike up on your first starry-eyed date. Let's be honest: Dredging up the past and owning all things that went right and wrong can be about as pleasant as having a root canal.But precisely because spilling the beans requires such a high level of comfort and trust, a Q&A session (topic: all things past) with your guy can bring the two of you closer in your relationship. And everything from the way he responds to your dig for details to the answers he gives will provide … Read More

Deciding to talk about your romantic past is a big dating decision. Some people prefer not to talk about their former honeys. Others want to know your number and their names—so they can look up your exes on Facebook. What you share is up to you (feel free to omit the goateed Bon Jovi fan you accompanied home after last summer's concert)—except when your past lovers are also your current ones. Confused? That's how Katherine Ruppe, this week's New York Times Modern Love essayist, felt when she found out that her new date was in an open relationship.

Call … Read More