FORT WORTH, Texas - For those planning to get married anytime soon, prepare to pay a lot more for a license or else spend time in a relationship class.

With the goal of cutting sky-high divorce rates, a new Texas law uses financial pain to push couples into pre-marriage counseling,

The scenic, old Tarrant County Courthouse has been a marriage factory for some time.

On a recent August day, 13 marriages were scheduled at the courthouse. Downstairs, in the Tarrant County Clerk's Office, about the same number bought their marriage licenses.

While presently buying a license costs $41, that cost will jump to $71 in September.

"I think it's ridiculous," said Liz Howard, a bride-to-be. "I don't know why it's going up."

Not many people are aware of the price hike. However, Texas will soon offer a cash incentive for couples to get pre-marriage counseling. If they take an approved eight-hour class, the state will waive $60 from the license fee. The program is called "Twogether in Texas."

That's something some couples agree on.

Daniel Baca and Alexia Rodriguez took a six-week class at their church.

"We don't want to divorce," Rodriguez said. "We want to stay married for life until we're dead."

But, about 45 percent of Texas marriages do not last that long. Lawmakers created "Twogether in Texas" to try to cut the divorce rate and improve lives for families and children.

"We're striving hard to get the word out as fast as we can," said Cindy Stumph, with the Parenting Center.

Stumph manages the program for 11 counties across North Texas. She said she has scrambled to line up approved class providers, including churches. She hopes to have 50 or 60 available soon.

"They can use faith-based materials as long as it meets the criteria: eight hours communication skills, conflict management and key components of a successful marriage," she said.

The program is funded by $16 million in federal grants.

A handful of billboards went up across the state this month, but mostly couples seem to be finding out about it when they see the signs for increased license costs.

Those overseeing the Twogether in Texas program predict only about 10 percent of couples will take advantage of the program initially. The rest, they said, will pay the higher fees.

The program starts September 1, and the marriage counseling classes are free.

E-mail jdouglas@wfaa.com