Qinghua Guo

Summary            Florida state is going to use a new law to control the divorce rate in the near future, under which unmarried couples can get 37% marriage-license discount if they take a 4-hour-length pre-marital preparation course.           This law, which is supposed to reduce the rocketing divorce rate, will be effective on Jan 1st the next year. The sponsors  declare that divorce leads to the rising number of absence, the increase of health-care expense, the difficulty brought to children's education and the boost of social problems.            Those couples who didn't attend the education-course must wait 3 days to get their marriage-license.             The author of " Florida marriage preparation and maintenance law" published a sample of marriage-preparation handbook yesterday. The law is supposed to encourage people to accept tutoring about marriage, to reduce the probability of divorce.             The handbook focuses on what may happen after divorce, including the distribution of kids and property.              Miami state representive Bloom , who is also a sponsor of the law, says: " we will make sure every groom &bride-to-be  in Florida knows there is  different requirements about marriage starting Jan 1st of next year."              The manager for marriage-license in Orleans county says that the new law helps unmarried lovers to know each other better.

Links ZBN19981206.0037 http://www.leg.state.fl.us/citizen/documents/statutes/StatuteBrowser99/index.cfm?mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0741/SEC0305.HTM