Perhaps you have thought over the years that certain situations would be better served with an official license procedure to oversee it; medical doctors, mental health workers, drivers licenses sure.  How about Marriage counseling?  If two representatives from Utah have their way, marriage counseling will soon become more official through incentivizing it alongside marriage licenses.

Representative Dixon Pitcher would like to see 3 hours of marriage counseling become the norm, not through legislation, but through discounting the marriage license fee 60% for those who can show a certificate of at least 3 hours of counseling.  

On the back end, Representative Jim Nielsen is seeking to reduce the divorce rate by passing a law that will require those filing for divorce to take an orientation as to the legal requirements, waiting periods, etc.

Professionally I agree with these gentlemen, who are still leaving enough independence in their proposals to allow for free will and seem to recognize that you can’t legislate impulsivity or stupidity.  I also think 3 hours is a rather conservative number but it’s a good place to start.  The benefits of marriage counseling seem obvious but fine tuning the larger ticket items in a relationship often get overlooked by the pollyanna romance we spin around our relationships.  

Ultimately, personal expectations rule, and when those get flushed out early on it saves pain later on and creates healthy communication for the long term.  True, it can end badly, in so far as the relationship may not be able to continue once practicality dissolves “the honeymoon phase” - but frankly, it’s better to know it’s not going to work before the divorce expense surpasses the wedding expense.

We’ve all heard the saying, “you need a license to fish but not to parent”.  Who’s next to turn their attention to requirements in parenting?  Florida, put your hand down.