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 Utah, marriage counseling or couples therapy is a service provided by trained professionals aimed at helping spouses resolve issues within their relationship. While it is not a mandatory step before filing for divorce, Utah law does provide courts with the discretion to order couples to engage in marriage counseling under certain circumstances. For instance, Utah Code Ann. § 30-3-16.4 allows the court to order mediation, which can include aspects of counseling, when it comes to issues of child custody and visitation. However, since Utah is a no-fault divorce state, a spouse can obtain a divorce without the need to prove fault or the necessity of counseling. If one spouse wishes to end the marriage, the court will typically grant the divorce, and mandatory marriage counseling is not a common prerequisite in the divorce process.