There can also be times where your spouse may feel that your friend demands too much of your time. This too can cause animosity in your marriage. It can also have your spouse wondering where they rate in your life and if you really need them in your life.

Another problem with opposite gender friendships after marriage is that you may begin to rely more on your friend and less on your spouse. You may start asking your opposite gender friend for advice instead of your spouse. You may also find yourself seeking out your friend for conversations instead of your spouse. This may also cause your spouse to feel left out and jealous of the relationship.

Opposite gender friendships after marriage can become a problem when you are not including your spouse. This can be whenever you get together with your opposite gender friend or if you are sneaking off behind your spouse's back. If you feel the need to keep this friendship to yourself there may be more problems in your marriage than you may think. If you are sneaking around with the opposite gender friend because your spouse asked you not to hang out with them than you should reevaluate the friendship.

Opposite gender friendships may start out as innocent but can become a problem in both your marriage and with you. If you are depending more on your friend and less on your spouse, or spending more time alone with your friend and not your spouse than the opposite gender friendship should be given up.
Some of the reasons why opposite gender friendships can work are:

Opposite gender friendships can work if you give less or the same amount of time to both your friend and your spouse. Both of these people can have time with you but it should be equal. Your spouse should not feel left out of your life at the sake of your other friendship. Your spouse should also feel that your main focus is on the marriage and not the friendship. This way creates less of animosity and jealousy.

Opposite gender friendships in marriage can also work easier when the friends were made before marriage. The friends then seem to pose less of a romantic interest when brought into a marriage. The friends usually become friends with the spouse during the beginning years of a marriage.

Include your spouse whenever you go out with your new opposite gender friend. Don't keep the friendship to yourself or not talk to your spouse about it. This creates tension and worry for your spouse. If you are going out with your opposite gender friend you need to include your spouse.

Sneaking around is also a bad idea if you want your opposite gender friendship to work. Sneaking around just makes the friendship seem taboo. If it is truly a platonic relationship there should be no reason as to why you need to sneak around with your new friend.

Opposite gender friendships after marriage are good and bad. Many marriages have failed because of opposite gender friendships. On the other hand many people believe that their marriage is better because of opposite gender friendships. This is a subject that is best discussed many times throughout a marriage.