Legal Coalition

Caseloads related to divorce, family decline and child welfare, make up the majority of what judges hear in Oklahoma courtrooms each day. Judges are daily faced with the responsibility of providing strategies and solutions for these families and it is probably fair to say that no one has a better understanding of the effects of family decline than family court judges do. As the Initiative continually seeks to develop additional strategies for counteracting negative family trends and providing positive services to improve child well being in these families, there is no better partner than the court system.

Another strategy for this coalition is related to marriage laws. In 1999, Oklahoma passed a law that reduced the cost of a marriage license from $25 to $5 if the applicants showed evidence of attending some kind of marriage education prior to submitting the application. While this price difference did not create a large incentive for couples to seek marriage education, it was clearly a statement that Oklahoma values preparing couples for marriage. In addition, the cost of a marriage license was recently raised to $50, but the reduced price remains $5.