A covenant marriage is a type of marriage that is only available in Arizona, Arkansas, and Louisiana. In a covenant marriage the spouses promise that (1) they will participate in marriage counseling before filing for divorce; (2) agree to a longer waiting period before the divorce can be finalized; and (3) must allege fault grounds for the divorce (cannot seek a divorce on no-fault grounds such as irreconcilable differences).

Laws vary among states that recognize covenant marriages, but in a covenant marriage a spouse seeking a divorce generally must allege fault grounds such as:

• Adultery by the other spouse;

• Commission of a felony by the other spouse and sentence of imprisonment at hard labor or death;

• Abandonment by the other spouse for one year;

• Physical or sexual abuse of the spouse or of a child of either spouse; or

• The spouses have lived separate and apart for two years; or the spouses are judicially or legally separated and have lived separate and apart since the legal separation for (a) one year and six months if there is a minor child or children of the marriage; (b) one year if the separation was granted for abuse of a child of either spouse; or (c) one year in all other cases.

Covenant marriage is not recognized in the state of Connecticut. In Connecticut, marriage is governed by state statutes that do not include provisions for covenant marriage, which is a special type of marriage available only in Arizona, Arkansas, and Louisiana. In Connecticut, couples seeking to marry or divorce follow the standard legal processes without the additional stipulations required by covenant marriage laws, such as mandatory counseling before divorce or extended waiting periods. Divorces in Connecticut can be sought on both fault and no-fault grounds. No-fault divorce is typically based on the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage, while fault grounds can include reasons such as adultery, fraudulent contract, willful desertion for one year with total neglect of duty, seven years' absence during which the absent spouse is not heard from, habitual intemperance, intolerable cruelty, sentence to imprisonment for life or the commission of any infamous crime involving a violation of conjugal duty and punishable by imprisonment for a period in excess of one year, and legal confinement in a mental hospital within the state or elsewhere if such confinement is expected to be permanent or for an indefinite period not less than five years. It is important for individuals in Connecticut to consult with an attorney for specific legal advice regarding marriage and divorce laws applicable in the state.