Florida Marriage Preparation Act of 1998

Item from the Smart Marriages Archive, reproduced in the Divorce Statistics Collectio n

EFFECTS OF THE FLORIDA MARRIAGE PREPARATION ACT OF 1998
______________________________
This just in from PAIRS in Florida. The Florida legislation does not
mandate marriage preparation but does strongly endourage it with a
marriage license discount and no waiting period for those who take
at least a four hour marriage education class. - diane

One in ten Florida couples opting for marriage ed

Weston, May 19, 2000: When Florida legislators passed the nationís first
marriage education law in 1998, many wondered if anyone noticed. The
initial results are promising.

Last year, more than 5,000 Florida couples said, "yes" to programs like
prePAIRS and a host of other seminars that meet state requirements for
lower
marriage license fees and speedy processing. Graduates of approved
courses
save $32.50 on the cost of their license, which is valid immediately
rather
than three days later, which is the case for couples that do not
participate.

PAIRS recently conducted a six-month follow-up survey of individuals who
completed their prePAIRS course six to 12 months earlier and found the
following:

- 91% said the course made a difference in the quality of their
relationship

- 76% reported using the skills learned on a regular basis

- 99% said they would recommend PAIRS to friends and family

- 87% said they want more marriage education in the future

In four percent of the cases, couples reported postponing or canceling
their wedding plans after completing the course.

Seth Eisenberg, CEO of PAIRS International and himself a teacher of the
four-hour relationship skills classes, says this is good news for
Florida's future. "Statewide, premarital education is reaching five to 10
percent of couples in the first year of legislation," Eisenberg says.
"There will be fewer incidents of marital and family breakdown and a host
of
other long-term benefits for these couples and their children," Eisenberg
predicts.

Eisenberg says the company's brief courses help couples understand
emotions,
predictable stages of relationship (illusion, disillusion, confusion,
conclusion) and provide an introduction to communication and conflict
resolution skills that foster marital bliss. Many graduates, he says,
come
back later to participate in longer programs.

Eisenberg expects the percentage of premarital couples that participate in
Florida courses to exceed 25% by 2005, resulting in more than 30,000
couples
completing programs each year. Key factors that will bring about higher
numbers, he says, include religious leaders becoming more convinced of the
value of relationship skills training, satisfied graduates sharing their
experiences with friends and family, competition among course providers,
greater availability and increased advertising and public relations.

For more information and a preview of what couples learn in prePAIRS,
contact PAIRS International, (954) 389-7565 or visit PAIRS online at
www.pairs.com/florida.

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