If you want to save a marriage, it's absolutely critical to avoid some of the common pitfalls others experience. It boggles the mind to think about how many potentially wonderful marriages die in divorce courts every year when they could have been saved. Don't let your marriage suffer a similar fate. Avoid these two blunders at all costs.

Mistake One: Betting On A Hunch

Marriage is a very personal thing, as are your emotions. You assume that you understand the situation better than anyone, so when it comes to saving your marriage, you feel as though you should trust your instincts. That's a common perspective. It's also a horrible mistake.

Consider this. You don't study human relationships for a living. You don't have extensive experience as a counselor. You don't carry a PhD and your only real connection to the field of human psychology is a few entry level classes from back when you were in college (if that).

This is a high stakes situation and one of the most important facets of your entire life is hanging in the balance. Where does it make more sense to put your trust--with an expert who knows the right way to save a marriage or with your own gut instincts? The answer should be obvious.

You don't necessarily need to enroll in marriage counseling. You do, however, need to follow an expert-written blueprint for rescuing your marriage from divorce.

Mistake Two: Early Surrender

Things might look bleak. It may appear as if a divorce is inevitable. You might think that you have no way out and that you are doomed to be another ugly divorce statistic. Things are sliding irreversibly into disaster and there's nothing you can do now. It's too late, right?

Wrong. Until the ink is dry on that divorce decree, you have a fighting chance to save your marriage. There are couples who actually broke through and made another go at love while standing in the courthouse. One expert recounts the story of a couple who were driving to see divorce attorneys when one of them finally took the right first step to saving the relationship.

It's never too late. Don't give up early. If you want to preserve your marriage, you need to start now--even if now is late in the game.