Divorce? Not So Fast, North Dakota!

It’s a fact - half of all marriages end in divorce. There’s an almost infinite amount of reasons couples break-up.  Before I go any further, let’s get one thing straight - my business is none of your business.  I should also add that your business is certainly no business of mine.  When my marriage ended some years back, I can’t imagine that I would be legally required to sit down for 10 hours with a complete stranger examining where my relationship went wrong.  Well, if a bill before the North Dakota House passes this week- we’ll have law requiring couples to sit down and I guess tell the state “where it hurts”.

Under a bill being introduced by Senator Oley Larsen, couples seeking a divorce would have to wait at least six months and undergo 10 hours of mandatory counseling.  Domestic violence is one of the provisions that would wave the waiting period.   I would be concerned that either of the spouses could then be more motivated to falsify abuse claims simply to avoid the six month wait.  A twisted thought- but divorce is never pretty.

I don’t think this bill would accomplish what it’s well-meaning and bipartisan supporters think it will.

And as far as the State wanting to talk it out with me during ten hours of counseling-  I guess we could talk football but I believe I’ll keep my feelings to myself.

What are your thoughts on the bill?