Covenant marriage

A covenant marriage is a form of marriage which requires spouses to agree that marriage is intended to be a lifetime commitment, and further that grounds for a later divorce will be limited.

Though both proponents and opponents believe it to be "inviting religion into the public square", the laws in the three states having covenant marriages (Arizona, Arkansas, and Louisiana) are written in neutral legal terminology; any couple regardless of religious faith (or lack thereof) may enter into such a marriage.

In order to enter into a covenant marriage, the spouses must agree to premarital counseling before the ceremony. A married couple may convert their standard marriage into a covenant one at a later date.

Should one or both spouses later seek a divorce, they may be required to attend marital counseling before a divorce will be granted. Furthermore, unlike no-fault divorce, grounds are limited to one of five specific areas: 1) adultery, 2) felony conviction, 3) substance abuse, 4) physical or sexual abuse of the other spouse or a child, and 5) living apart for a specified period of time (as long as two years in some cases).

Despite the goals of proponents, only around one percent of marriages in the three states having them are covenant marriages.