Proposed Law would require Hours of “Marriage Education” Prior to being Granted Marriage License

The Colorado Marriage Education Act would require that couples seeking a marriage license undergo 10 to 30 hours or more of "pre-wedding education" before they are allowed to be married. If the proposed ballot measure became law then someone getting married for the first time would have to pay for and attend 10 hours of marriage education before being granted a marriage license. Someone getting married for the second time would have to attend 20 hours of education and a third marriage would mean 30 hours of pre-wedding education. The required curriculum and general procedure and content for the classes would be developed by the Colorado State Board of Marriage and Family Therapist Examiners. The law would not apply to civil unions but solely and specifically to marriages. Proponents of the Colorado Marriage Education Act such as the "Kids Against Divorce" organization feel that the act will help protect children from potential divorces and create stronger family units. Additionally, the act proposes tax cuts to those who do the marriage classes with the thinking that the classes will save thousands of dollars in legal costs associated with the number of divorces annually. Those who are not in favor of the act feel that it is additional unwarranted government intrusion into something that is a private matter. The time and cost that the education would require is something that some feel only makes getting married that much harder, expensive and stressful and could never effectively guarantee a successful marriage. The proposed law needs about 86,000 more signatures by August 4^th in order to be placed on the November ballot. Then it would be up to voters to determine whether or not the Colorado Marriage Education Act should become law. If you have any questions concerning a family law matter then speak with a knowledgeable divorce attorney right away.

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