Covenant marriage is a legally distinct form of marriage available in three states — Louisiana (1997), Arizona (1998), and Arkansas (2001) — that imposes stricter requirements for entry and dissolution than standard civil marriage. Couples who enter a covenant marriage must receive premarital counseling, sign a declaration of intent affirming their commitment to the institution of marriage, and agree that they will seek counseling if marital difficulties arise before pursuing divorce. Covenant marriages can only be dissolved on limited fault grounds — adultery, abuse, addiction, felony conviction with imprisonment, abandonment, and living separate and apart for specified periods — rather than the no-fault grounds available in standard divorces. Nevada does not offer covenant marriage as an option for couples marrying in Nevada, but Nevada family courts and attorneys regularly encounter covenant marriages because Nevada is a major destination for couples relocating from Louisiana, Arizona, and Arkansas. Hauser Family Law advises Las Vegas clients whose covenant marriages from other states intersect with Nevada divorce law.
How Nevada Handles Covenant Marriage Dissolution
When a couple who entered a covenant marriage in Louisiana, Arizona, or Arkansas relocates to Nevada and one spouse files for divorce in Nevada, the Nevada court applies Nevada divorce law — not the law of the state where the covenant marriage was entered. Under NRS 125.010, Nevada recognizes incompatibility as a ground for divorce, and the Nevada Supreme Court’s interpretation of Full Faith and Credit (U.S. Const. Art. IV, § 1) holds that Nevada courts are not required to apply another state’s covenant marriage dissolution restrictions when Nevada has jurisdiction over the divorce. This means that a couple who entered a covenant marriage in Louisiana that requires adultery or abuse as grounds for divorce can obtain a no-fault Nevada divorce based on incompatibility alone, provided one spouse meets Nevada’s six-week residency requirement under NRS 125.020. Nevada courts also apply Nevada community property law (NRS Chapter 123) to divide assets and debts acquired during the covenant marriage, regardless of the couple’s home state at the time of acquisition. Nevada’s child custody standards under NRS Chapter 125C apply to children of covenant marriages, just as they do to all other divorces in Nevada. The practical significance for Las Vegas covenant marriage clients is that Nevada law generally provides faster and less restrictive access to divorce than the originating covenant marriage state, and full Nevada divorce protections apply to property division, spousal support, and child custody. Hauser Family Law guides Las Vegas clients through the specific procedural steps for dissolving a covenant marriage in Nevada family court and protecting their rights throughout the process.