House Speaker Mike Johnson has a covenant marriage. What does that mean?

Newly elected speaker of the House and Shreveport native Rep. Mike Johnson and his wife Kelly Johnson joined in a covenant marriage in 1999.

But what is a covenant marriage?

"If you're having trouble in your marriage, and you're going down the road of divorce, now you have to go seek counseling," said Mary Winchell, attorney at Winchell Law Firm, LLC.

Louisiana is one of three states that recognizes covenant marriages passing the first law in 1997. Shortly after, Arkansas and Arizona followed suit.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, covenant marriage is when couples choose to enter a marriage in which they agree to be bound by two significant provisions on obtaining a divorce.

Read: New House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana was trusted member of Trump inner circle

Covenant marriage stipulations:

• The couple must agree to seek marital counseling if problems develop during their marriage.

• A couple can seek divorce or legal separation if there is adultery, physical or sexual abuse to the spouse or children, habitual use of alcohol or drugs and commission of a felony.

When entering a covenant marriage couples must sign a declaration of intent.

This declaration provides that a husband and wife live together forever, both parties have disclosed everything that could adversely affect the marriage, the parties have received premarital counseling, and the couple will receive counseling if difficulties arise.

Winchell said, "you still have to deal with all the same issues that you would have to deal with in a regular divorce."

However, a key component to covenant marriages is the time in which it takes to get legally separated or divorced. Winchell said, "you are really just prolonging the issue."

To obtain a legal separation a couple must live separate and apart for two years.

For spouses to get a divorce they have to live separate and apart for two years, or the spouses are legally separated and have lived apart since the legal separation for one year and six months if there is a minor child of the marriage; one year if the separation was granted for abuse of a child or spouse.

More: Who is Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the U.S. House?

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: House Speaker Mike Johnson has a covenant marriage. What does that mean?