資源描述：
《美國(guó)的離婚問(wèn)題America's Divorce Problem》由會(huì)員上傳分享，免費(fèi)在線(xiàn)閱讀，更多相關(guān)內(nèi)容在學(xué)術(shù)論文-天天文庫(kù)。
1、America'sDivorceProblemOnAugust15,1997,Louisianamadeanhistoricchangeinitsdomesticrelationslawsbyenactingthenation'sfirst"covenantmarriage"bill.FollowingLouisiana'slead,ArizonaenactedsimilarlegislationinMay1998andothercovenantmarriage(CM)billsarenowunderconsiderationinatleasttwentyadditionalstat
2、es.Itthusappearsthatweareonthefrontendofacovenantmarriage"boom"thatcouldsoonsweepacrossthenation.Hereweconsiderjustwhatcovenantmarriageisandwhyitisaconceptwhosetimeappearstohavecome.Wealsotakeupandrespondtothemostcommonobjectionsorreservationsthatpeoplehaveexpressedaboutit.Whatis"CovenantMarria
3、ge?"CoupleswishingtomarryinLouisianaarenowrequiredtochoosebetweentwomarriageregimes:thestandardmarriagewithvirtuallyunrestrictedaccesstono-faultdivorceoracovenantmarriagedesignedtobesomewhatharderbothtoenterandtoexit.Thecovenantoptionspecificallyacknowledgesthatmarriageisalifelongcommitmentandd
4、iffersfromconventionalMarriageinanumberofadditionalways:Covenantmarriagerequirespremaritalcounseling.Counselingmustincludediscussionsoftheseriousnessofmarriage,thelifelongcommitmentbeingmadebythecoupletotheirmarriage,theobligationtoseekmaritalcounselingifproblemsariselaterinthemarriage,andtheex
5、clusivegroundsfordivorceorlegalseparationinacovenantmarriage.Couplesmustsignanaffidavitacknowledgingtheircommitmentandprovethattheyhavereceivedcounselingontheseissues.Likewise,divorcefromacovenantmarriagerequiresthecoupletohavesoughtmarriagecounselingandtohavemadeagood-faithefforttoresolvetheir
6、differences.Althoughano-faultdivorceisstillpossibleforcovenantmarriages,thenewlawrequiresthatthecoupleliveseparateandapartfortwoyears(vs.sixmonthsunderthecurrentmarriageregime)orbelegallyseparatedforeighteenmonths.Dissolvingacovenantmarriageinlessthantwoyearsrequiresonepersontoprovefaultonthepa
7、rtoftheother.Acceptable"faults"arethetraditionalones:felonyconviction,abuse,abandonment,oradultery.Irreconcilabledifferences,generalincompatibility,irretrievablebreakdownofthemarriage,or"wejustdon'tgetalonganymore"arenotacceptable
