The decision was upheld on appeal in Massachusetts on June 27. But perhaps it is less jarring than the prevailing existing joint-custody arrangements, which have children shuttling on a weekly basis. Florida Experiments with Pre-Marital Training. Some of the courses are 4 hours long. One provider, First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale, offers an 8-week course that covers finances, parenting skills, and conflict resolution.
Churches dominate the list of authorized premarital course providers.
In two counties surveyed, Broward and Miami-Dade, about 8 to 9 percent of couples have elected to take the course. That is, the couple may not get married in Florida for 3 days after they get their license, unless they take the course. It's too soon to tell whether the requirement will have an impact on the divorce rate. But these Florida laws, which other states are considering, strike us as a positive step. In this Missouri case, the couple's separation agreement provided that the alimony would terminate on the employment of the wife.