Each year, approximately 1.5 million people will remarry (Glick, 1980). Nearly 600% of these remarrying adults will have custody of at least one child, and 20% will have noncustodial children (Weingarten, 1980). Since an estimated 1 out of 5 marriages is a remarriage for one or both spouses, this represents a large group of marriages and families in the United States today. Remarriages are at higher risk for dissolution than first marriages (Glick, 1984), and remarriages, when children from a prior relationship are present, are even more prone to divorce than childless remarriages (White & Booth, 1985). While approximately 50% of first marriages end in divorce, nearly 55% of remarriages are dissolved (Cherlin, 1981). Remarriages, especially those involving one or more partners who have children from previous relationships, are faced with complexity and complications beyond the typical stresses and strains facing any married couple (Visher & Visher, 1979). Adults who form stepfamilies find themselves dealing not only with normative marital issues (e.g., sex, in-laws, finances), but also with potentially conflictual issues that are unique to stepfamilies. For example, disagreements over stepchildren appear to be a frequent problem (Albrecht, Bahr, & Goodman, 1983; Visher & Visher, 1982), as are relationships with former spouses (Whiteside, 1983), the lack of societal guidelines for stepfamily roles (Cherlin, 1978), difficulties in merging two different lifestyles (Stanton, 1986), blurred boundaries (Roberts & Price, 1986), and certain legal problems (Messinger, 1984). Many other issues have been identified by clinical writers (see Ganong & Coleman, 1986). With the frequently greater complexity of stepfamilies, it is not surprising that clinicians consider stepfamilies to be prone to conflict (Visher & Visher, 1982). In response to the apparent risks of stepfamily living, many authors have called for educational interventions for stepfamilies that are designed to prevent problems before they occur (Messinger, 1976; Messinger, Walker & Freeman, 1978; Miller, 1985; Pill, 1981; Stanton, 1986). Educational programs designed to assist remarried adults and their children through the transition of remarriage are believed to be costefficient and effective ways to help stepfamilies avoid common problems (Messinger, 1976). Many, if not most, of the conflicts and problems encountered by stepfamilies are not due to individual psychopathology or to inevitable interpersonal hassles, but instead are due to potentially preventable situations (Stanton, 1986). It has been argued that proper preparation for remarriage that includes careful consideration of potentially toxic issues can help families avoid many difficulties of stepfamily life (Messinger, 1976; Pill, 1981). A plethora of self-help books have been written toward this end and several intervention programs have been designed to prepare people for remarriage (e.g., Currier, 1982; Einstein, 1986).