India, July 13 -- When it comes to the legal unravelling of romance, top New York City divorce attorney James J Sexton has seen it all. But according to him, the cracks in a marriage usually start long before anyone steps into a courtroom. Also read: Better divorced than suffering

In a February 2026 interview with podcaster Chris Williamson, James outlined the two fundamental, contradictory errors couples make when tying the knot or moving in together.

The first trap couples fall into is the dangerous assumption that a formal commitment will magically fix pre-existing flaws. "I think there are two fundamental and somewhat contradictory errors that people make when they're getting married or cohabitating for the first time," James explai...