Florida Premarital Preparation Course Statute

After the wedding is over, the marriage begins and keeping it going can be hard work. Florida recognizes the challenges that married couples face and want to support the success of these relationships. For this reason, the Florida Premarital Preparation Course Statute was created and couples who complete this special course not only have a better foundation for their marriage but also receive a reduction in the marriage fee by $32.50.

Course Topics

The goal of the course is to provide couples with the tools needed for a successful partnership and marriage and primary topics include:

• Conflict management.
• Communication skills.
• Financial responsibilities.
• Children and parenting responsibilities.
• Review of information about the challenges faced by married couples who have sought marital or individual counseling.

You must take a course with a minimum of four hours of instruction to qualify for the benefits under this statute.

Course Options

Recognizing that adults have demanding schedules and so there are many options available to take and complete this course. These options include:

• Direct personal instruction;
• Videotape instruction;
• Instruction via other electronic medium; or
• A combination of these methods.

Couples can also choose to take these courses together or individually, as best meets their needs. Each person must complete the course and receive a certificate of completion from the instructor.

Instructor Options

There are several qualified instructors who can provide this course, but they must be registered with a judicial circuit (county courthouse) for their program to qualify under this statute. Instructors can included:

• Licensed Psychologists
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor
• Trained Representatives of Religious Institutions
• Other Providers Designated by a Judicial Circuit, such as a school counselor.

Finding an Instructor

Every judicial circuit maintains a roster of qualified instructors. This information includes:

• Type of course, such as video, in person, etc.
• Cost of the course.
• Whether the provider offers the course for free or on a sliding scale.

Course Completion

When a couple has completed the course, each one will receive a certificate of completion that states:

• Their Name
• Date of Completion
• Course Structure, i.e. video, electronic, in person or combination.

When both parties have completed the course, they qualify for the $32.50 reduction in the state marriage fee.

Dr. D'Arienzo's Premarital Course Registration

Dr. D'Arienzo is proud to be a registered instructor for all 67 Florida counties, providing an online course that is both LGBT and straight friendly. As a specialist in relationship, marriage and divorce counseling services, Dr. D'Arienzo created this online course based on his 20+ years of experience to help prepare couples for the life-long journey of marriage.

To register and pay for the course you may:

• Click on the red purchase button to use a credit card or Paypal; or
• Contact our office at (904)379-8094 during business hours.

Please note that this payment is non-refundable but only one registration is required for per couple.

Accessing and Completing the Course

After receipt of your payment, we will send you an email that includes the password you need to access the course. Once you have the password, simply go to Dr. D'Arienzo's Premarital Course Login, enter the password and begin. If you have any difficulty finding your password or accessing the course, please call our office during normal business hours.

Once you have logged in you:

• Have 90 days to complete the course.
• Must read the materials and complete the exercises.
• Complete theshort questionnaire at the end. Be sure to take your time and be as accurate as possible when providing your names and emails.

The course should take at least four hours if completed as instructed, which meets the requirements under Florida law that you must spend a minimum of four hours on a Florida premarital course to receive your certificate of completion.

Certificate of Completion

Once you have submitted the questionnaire, a PDF copy of your certificate of completion will be immediately sent to you by email. The majority of counties will accept this PDF certificate as proof of your completion of the course and only a few require an original certificate of completion. If your county requires an original certificate, we must mail the certificate to you, which you should receive within two to three business days of completion of the course. Counties which require an original certificate of completion are: Alachua, Bradford, Desoto, Dixie, Flagler, Gulf, Hernando, Highlands, Leon, Levy, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, Seminole, and Taylor Counties.

If you have any questions about this course, please check our FAQ page which has additional information.

• Learn how to be more intimate and potentially improve your sex life.
• Decrease your chance of divorce and conflict.
• Learn how to improve your compatibility and communication together.
• Learn how to resolve arguments, conflicts, and disagreements.
• Learn about your future spouse's dreams, desires, and goals.
• Learn more about your personality and your future spouse's personality.
• Learn how to resolve financial matters and learn how to better budget.
• Learn even more about yourself and your future spouse and about marriage!