Marriage counseling or couples therapy is the process of spouses working with a trained professional (usually a psychologist) to resolve problems in their relationship, with the goal of saving the relationship and marriage. Marriage counseling is generally not required before getting divorced, but in some states courts have the discretion to require couples seeking a divorce to engage in marriage counseling—although this is rare. And in some states the court may order the spouses to attend marriage counseling if one spouse requests it. But because a spouse is generally entitled to a divorce on no-fault grounds (without claiming or proving fault in the breakup of the marriage), marriage counseling is not usually a significant factor in the divorce process, and if one spouse wants a divorce, it will be granted.

In North Dakota, marriage counseling or couples therapy is a service that couples may voluntarily seek to address and resolve issues in their relationship. While it is not a mandatory requirement before filing for divorce, North Dakota law does allow courts to order couples to undergo marriage counseling if one of the spouses requests it and the court deems it appropriate. This is in line with North Dakota's no-fault divorce laws, which means that a spouse can file for divorce without assigning blame to the other party. Therefore, even if marriage counseling is ordered, it is not typically a significant factor in the divorce process. If one spouse insists on a divorce, the court will generally grant it, as long as the legal requirements for divorce under North Dakota law are met.