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.

Rhode Island does not recognize covenant marriages. Covenant marriages, which offer an alternative to traditional marriage with additional obligations and restrictions, are only available in Arizona, Arkansas, and Louisiana. In Rhode Island, marriage and divorce follow the standard legal framework applicable to all marriages in the state. Couples seeking to marry or divorce in Rhode Island do not have the option of entering into a covenant marriage and are not subject to the specific requirements that such a marriage entails, such as mandatory counseling before divorce, extended waiting periods, or the necessity to allege fault grounds for divorce. Instead, Rhode Island allows for no-fault divorces based on irreconcilable differences, as well as fault-based divorces for reasons such as adultery, abandonment, or abuse.