Divorce has become a societal phenomenon almost as prevalent as marriage. While some speculate on the reasons why, Mort Fertel, creator of the Marriage Fitness Tele-Boot Camp and author of "Marriage Fitness," (MarriageMax.com), says he knows.

"What do people do when they finally open up and admit there's a problem in their marriage? They start talking to their friends and family and basically get a lot of bad, conflicting advice, or they go to a marriage counselor, which is often where it gets really messy," says Fertel, a global marriage expert.

"Too much marriage counseling consists primarily of couples beating up on each other; the wife gets her turn and the husband gets his turn. This adds stress to an already strained marriage and it's often the final straw in a relationship."

One piece of advice Fertel offers: Don't be afraid to start repairing your marriage on your own. One spouse's effort can change the momentum and very often, it's that effort that motivates the other spouse to join in the process of saving the relationship, he says.

Patty, one of Fertel's past success stories, was the spouse acting alone when she initially entered his program. In a letter featured on Fertel's website, she writes the following: "...I was in your October program as a lone ranger. Thanks to following your advice, my husband moved back home mid-December. We are now doing the program again but this time TOGETHER. He says he is totally committed to our marriage and making it work."

Fertel says wanting to make it work is half the battle.

"Many people seem to go into marriage counseling not even sure if they want their relationship to work out - but that is unacceptable," he says. "In my program, the first step is simply knowing you want your marriage to succeed."

About Mort Fertel

Mort Fertel is a world authority on the psychology of relationships. He has been featured as an expert on ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS and Fox television networks. His Marriage Fitness System is endorsed by a wide variety of mental-health professionals, and he has helped save thousands of marriages. Fertel graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, was the CEO of an international nonprofit organization, and is a former marathon runner. He lives with his wife and five children (including triplets!) in Baltimore.

New Laws Make Repeat Offenses a Felony and Require School Policies on Teen Dating Violence

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today signed new laws designed to crack down on domestic violence in Illinois by increasing penalties for repeat offenders and by requiring school districts to adopt policies regarding teen dating violence. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women in the United States, with an estimated one out of four women victimized at some point in their lives. These actions are part of Governor Quinn's agenda to improve public safety across Illinois.

"Whether in her home or out in public, every woman has the right to be and feel safe," Governor Quinn said. "These new laws will help us fight domestic violence across Illinois and make our state a safer place."

House Bill 958, sponsored by State Representative Emily McAsey (D-Lockport) and State Senator Pat McGuire (D-Joliet), increases the penalties for domestic violence by classifying domestic violence as a felony if the defendant has a prior domestic violence conviction. The felony classification is more severe if the defendant has more than one prior conviction, with a sentence of up to 14 years for four or more convictions. Currently many domestic violence cases are considered as misdemeanors. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2014.

"Domestic violence impacts more than 100,000 people in Illinois each year," Representative McAsey said. "We must continue working to provide protections from dangerous criminals. This new law forces repeat domestic abusers to be held accountable by increasing penalties for each violent act."

"This law sends domestic abusers a strong message that the more often they do harm, the more time they'll spend in jail," Senator McGuire said.

In addition, House Bill 3379, sponsored by State Representative Silvana Tabares (D-Chicago) and State Senator Iris Martinez (D-Chicago), requires school boards to adopt a policy on teen dating violence. The policy must establish procedures for school employee response when they become aware of teen dating violence, and schools must educate students about dating violence. The law takes effect immediately.

Governor Quinn also today signed House Bill 3300, sponsored by State Representative Stephanie Kifowit (D-Aurora) and State Senator Daniel Biss (D-Evanston), which protects domestic violence victims who are covered by their abusers' insurance policies. The law allows insurance companies to communicate with the victims in ways that do not divulge personal information or current addresses to their abusers. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2014.

Lastly, Governor Quinn also signed House Bill 3236, which extends the reporting deadline for the Task Force to Eradicate Domestic Violence to April 1, 2014. The task force is developing a statewide prevention program aimed at adolescent violence. The law takes effect immediately.

Teenagers pose many dilemmas for parents, and one of the biggest is determining how much freedom to allow.

"There's such a fine line - they have one foot in childhood and the other in adulthood, so you can't completely trust their decision-making. And yet, you need to allow them some independence because in a very short time, they will be adults," says George Karonis, a location-based services specialist.

"And, let's be honest, life is better when your teen is happy. It's nice to see them looking forward to something like a friend's party or a weekend camping trip."

Figuring out how to balance their need for a measure of freedom and independence against a parent's concern for safety can be difficult.

"It is important for teens to be social, but as teenagers, they have a tendency to test their boundaries, which can lead to trouble. The good news is, there are ways to give your teen the freedom that he or she needs, and the peace of mind you require," Karonis says.

He offers the following solutions for parents:

• LiveViewGPS, Inc.: This new service temporarily turns any cell phone into a location device. It's an economical solution for families that occasionally need to be able to pinpoint someone's location but don't want to download software to their phone or spend a lot of money on hardware, says Karonis, who is the founder and CEO of the company. The service requires the permission of the son or daughter whose phone would be tracked, which adds an element of honesty and transparency. Users pay a minimum of $19.95 for 30 locates and when they need to find the phone - and the person to whom it's attached - they simply log into the website, where tracking is instantaneous and displayed on a satellite-view map.

• Reward Responsibility: If your teen has already proven himself or herself to be reliable and punctual with multiple responsibilities - completing schoolwork in a timely manner; diligent with extracurricular activities like sports, band or theater; or has responded well to after-school employment - it's time to give him or her the benefit of the doubt when it comes to fun. Make it clear, you trusting them to use good judgment because they've earned that trust. But trust can also be lost.

• Set the example of consistency: Predictability is good when it comes to raising children, especially in terms of personifying virtues like honesty, punctuality and reliability. Teenagers are keenly aware of hypocrisy and are liable to use a parent's contradictions against them in rationalizing bad behavior. The "do as I say, not as I do" rule may be convenient, but teens see through it. Use a calendar, perhaps on your refrigerator or synch schedules on your family's smartphones, to encourage everyone to show up at expected times. If someone is going to be late, have a system in place for sending appropriate notification.

• Don't be strangers: Most parents assume they know who their child is, but teens are our most rapidly changing family members. They're eager to establish their own identities and try new experiences in their run-up to adulthood. Who are the most relevant people in their lives, and do you know his or her friends? The more a group of friends knows the teen friend's parents, the more responsibility those friends will feel in honoring the parent's rules.

About George Karonis

George Karonis has a background in security and surveillance, and has specialized in location services since 2005. A self-professed computer geek, one of his chief concerns is balancing the usefulness of tracking with the protection of individuals' privacy. He is founder and CEO of LiveViewGPS, Inc. (www.mobilephonelocate.com)

(DES MOINES) - Governor Branstad today was named to the National Governor's Association (NGA) Executive Committee after being selected by his fellow governors at the NGA Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In this NGA leadership role, Governor Branstad will help provide guidance to the NGA's efforts to share best practices across states and add a strong voice to Federal policy discussions that impact the states.

"I am honored to have received the bi-partisan support and confidence of my fellow governors," said Gov. Branstad. "States often face similar challenges and by sharing best practices we can help improve government efficiency and customer service for our citizens.  The NGA also plays an important role in pushing back on Federal intrusion and unfunded mandates on the states."

The term runs through July of next year.

This past year, Branstad served as the Vice Chair of the NGA's Education and Workforce Committee which focused on state-driven education reform and innovative programs, like the Skilled Iowa initiative and the Iowa's STEM initiative, to help close the middle skills gap to fill high-demand jobs and raise family incomes through rewarding careers.