The Oklahoma legislature has approved covenant marriage as a voluntary option for couples wanting to get married or renewing their vows. The bill passed 93-7.
Covenant marriage, according to House Bill 1026 is a lifelong agreement, where the couple obtains counseling before marriage on the purpose and responsibilities of marriage. The couple then sign a notarized affidavit saying they were counseled and received the “Guide for Covenant Marriages” pamphlet.
A divorce would be granted only in the case of adultery, physical abuse against a spouse or child, if one spouse abandons the home for at least one year, if spouses live separately for 18 months, or if there is fraud entering into the covenant marriage contract.
House members also removed common law marriage from Oklahoma law. Common law marriage was defined as when two people live together for a certain length of time but do not enter into a formal marriage contract.
The bill, authored by Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing, passed with a 98-1 vote. She said common law marriages dated back to statehood when there were very few ministers or judges to formally marry couples.
The “idea outlasted its time,” she said.
0 Responses to “Oklahoma Approves Covenant Marriage; Removes Common Law Marriage”