{Spring Into Love} Covenant Marriage for you?

Marriage through thick and thin. There is a second kind of marriage called a Covenant Marriage which is a harder bond to break than traditional marriage. You may be wondering what difference is between these two and how they will impact your decision. According to CovenantMarriage.com, "A covenant marriage is intended by God to be a lifelong relationship exemplifying unconditional love, reconciliation, sexual purity, and growth. A covenant is an eternal commitment with God. People can negotiate out of contracts, but not out of a covenant." In a traditional marriage, you can plan to start pre-marital counseling 6 months prior to your wedding. This is optional counseling based on your religious beliefs. For many denominations, such as Lutheran and Catholic, pre-marital counseling is a requirement to be married in the church.


Requirements
According to legislation (A.R.S. 25-901-906) which became effective Aug. 21, 1998, couples who are planning to apply for a Covenant Marriage License must provide a notarized statement from the clergy or marriage counselor who provided their premarital counseling. (Clerk of the Court website)


The notarized attestation/statement should confirm that:

• the parties were advised about the nature and purpose of a covenant marriage;
• the parties were advised regarding the limited reasons for ending marriage by legal separation or divorce; and
• the parties were given a copy of the pamphlet, Covenant Marriages in Arizona, published by Arizona Office of the Courts (AOC).

Cost
Marriage licenses can be obtained in Maricopa County at the Justice Courts for $72.

Click here to visit the Marriage License site.