The government's consultation paper on the family will attempt to address the breakdown in the traditional structure of married life in the UK and the problem it presents.

No-one, from the royal family to Paul Gascoigne's family, is exempt from the changes a more liberated society has brought.

In less than 30 years the number of first time marriages has halved and divorces have trebled.

'Extraordinary times'

Relate spokeswoman Julia Cole said: "Post war families were neat stereotypes.

"Usually the father worked and the mother stayed at home, even if she had a job before getting married, she would most likely give it up to stay at home and look after the children.

Women are getting pregnant later

"For a long time we existed like that but now it's all change, particularly since the '60s.

"We're looking at a whole new way couples live together."

The change has come about through a variety of social factors, many of them positive ones, she believes.

Ms Cole told BBC News Online: "No doubt since the 1960s we've seen some huge changes in how men and women see relationships.

"We've lived through some extraordinary times. Never before was there the opportunity for women to pursue a career and get to the top of that career.

"Alongside of that, men were being encouraged to be more nurturing, all of which is excellent. It is right it should happen but it makes a lot of people confused and they are not sure what role to take.

"It is not so much a sexual revolution but more of a gender or role revolution."

Parenthood coming later

The size of families has declined with the trend towards women having children later in life.

Fertility rates have declined in 30 years from 2.9 children per family to an average of 1.8.

Yet, the UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Europe with 8.5 girls per 1000 under the age of 16 becoming pregnant.

According to the Office for National Statistics' Social Focus on Families report published last year, most children are born to married couples.

However, the number of those born outside of marriage is increasing, and now stands at four times as many as in 1971.

The proportion of children who live in lone parent families has tripled since 1972.

Lone parent families tend to have lower incomes, be more dependent on benefits and have lower levels of savings.

The 1997 survey also found a quarter of children lived in families whose income was below half the average in 1993-95 which was double the proportion in 1981.

Cohabitation became common

Cohabitation, once unheard of, is now the norm.

Ms Cole says: "I was quite staggered to find there's been a huge drop in marriages.

Family size is decreasing

"The figure was 322,000 in 1995 which is the lowest recorded figure for marriages since the 20s which is incredible if you think how the population has grown.

"There has been a big change in cohabitation. People are not converting to marriage, they are just living together."

Nearly 70% of women who married for the first time in 1993 had cohabited with their future husband beforehand, compared with 4% of those who were first married in 1966.

The number of divorces has more than trebled since 1969 with more than half affecting children under the age of 16.

Ms Cole says: "We've found there is a peak in the divorce rate between five and nine years and we think it might be linked to the birth of the first child.

"There is a clear 90s struggle when the baby arrives and problems may be due to the change in society.

"The mother may be working and may have to sort out child care, the father may be confused about his role and this can cause conflict."

Yet, one positive note are the statistics which prove the family still plays an important role in daily life, especially as a source of advice and support.