The Tennessee General Assembly enacted Chapter No. 854 of
the Public Acts of 2002. Included in this Act is an additional $62.50 fee
when applying for a marriage license.
Premarital Course Completion--To
qualify for the exemption by attending a premarital preparation course,
both applicants must submit a
notarized
Certification of Completion
completed by the course provider, showing
that they have attended the course together, or separately, within
one year of the date of application to the County Clerk for the license.
The
Certification of Completion
form, which may be down-loaded by clicking
on the link, defines the law as to qualifications of persons who are eligible
to conduct the four (4) hours of premarital preparation training required
by Chapter No. 854.
The new law gives minimal guidance as to the content
of the course. It states that the course may include :
(1)
Conflict management
(2) Communication skills.
(3) Financial responsibilities.
(4)
Children and parenting responsibilities.
(5) Data compiled from available
information relating to problems reported by married couples that seek marital
or individual counseling. |