BILL NUMBER:A10690
TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the domestic relations law, in relation to pre-marriage
counseling
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF THE BILL:
This bill will make an eight-hour pre-marriage counseling session with
a licensed marriage and family therapist mandatory before a marriage
license is issued.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill amends section 13 of the domestic relations law to read as
follows:
"Before a marriage license shall be issued, persons intending to be
married in New York State shall complete one eight hour pre-marriage
counseling session with a licensed marriage and family therapist, as
defined in section eight thousand four hundred three of the education
law."
JUSTIFICATION:
According to the New York Times 41% of all marriages end in divorce.
The reason for these divorces vary however it is believed that
couples who take pre-marriage counseling before marriage, divorce at
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
10690
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 14, 2010
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CASTRO -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the domestic relations law, in relation to pre-marriage
counseling
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 13 of the domestic relations law, as amended by
chapter 720 of the laws of 1957, is amended to read as follows:
S 13. Marriage licenses. 1. It shall be necessary for all persons
intended to be married in New York state to obtain a marriage license
from a town or city clerk in New York state and to deliver said license,
within sixty days, to the clergyman or magistrate who is to officiate
before the marriage ceremony may be performed. In case of a marriage
contracted pursuant to subdivision four of section eleven of this chap-
ter, such license shall be delivered to the judge of the court of record
before whom the acknowledgment is to be taken. If either party to the
marriage resides upon an island located not less than twenty-five miles
from the office or residence of the town clerk of the town of which such
island is a part, and if such office or residence is not on such island
such license may be obtained from any justice of the peace residing on
such island, and such justice, in respect to powers and duties relating
to marriage licenses, shall be subject to the provisions of this article
governing town clerks and shall file all statements or affidavits
received by him while acting under the provisions of this section with
the town clerk of such town.
2. BEFORE A MARRIAGE LICENSE SHALL BE ISSUED, PERSONS INTENDING TO BE
MARRIED IN NEW YORK STATE SHALL COMPLETE ONE EIGHT HOUR PRE-MARRIAGE
COUNSELING SESSION WITH A LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST, AS
DEFINED IN SECTION EIGHT THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED THREE OF THE EDUCATION
LAW.
S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16271-01-0
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