Occasionally, states will consider making law changes regarding what couples may or must do prior to getting married or divorced. Recently, it has been reported that Utah's legislature will be considering two bills proposing these types of changes this year.

The first bill would make some changes to what couples with children are required to do in order to get a divorce in Utah. Reportedly, under current Utah law, both of the parties to such a divorce are required to complete a divorce orientation class before the divorce's finalization.

The bill proposes changing this requirement so that parties to such a divorce are required to complete this divorce orientation class sooner. Under the changes proposed under the bill, a person who wishes to file a divorce petition would be required to complete the divorce orientation class before filing the petition and the respondent to a divorce petition would be required to complete the divorce orientation class within 30 days of the divorce petition being filed.

Reportedly, the bill includes certain exceptions to the new requirements it proposes, including an exception for situations in which domestic violence is involved.

The second bill proposes the creation of an incentive for couples who are getting married in Utah to get premarital counseling prior to getting married. Specifically, the bill would make it so couples who receive at least three hours of premarital counseling prior to getting married would get to pay a lower marriage license fee than couples that do not receive such counseling.

One wonders if these two bills will ultimately be passed by Utah's legislature and, if they are, what impacts these bills will have on couples in Utah who wish to get married or divorced. One also wonders if other states will consider such legislation.

Law changes regarding what a couple may or must do prior to getting married or divorced can have major impacts on couples who wish to get divorced or married. Thus, one hopes that when state legislatures consider law changes like those contained in the above-discussed bills from Utah, they carefully consider what impacts such changes would have.

Source: KSL, "Bills target Utahns considering marriage, divorce," Feb. 2, 2012