Britain has among the highest divorce rates in Europe and a growing number of parents as more couples have children without getting married and are increasingly likely to separate accordingly.
Iain Duncan Smith, work and Pensions Secretary, has been studying a relationship education program sponsored by the State in Norway, under which couples are forced to "think again" and face the reality of divorce before sorting.
The policy was credited with reversal of the trend of Norway to the increasing divorce rates and halt the decline of marriage in the country over the past 15 years.
Mr Duncan Smith told The Daily Telegraph that was interested in exploring ways in which similar approaches could be encouraged in Britain.
Officials stress that such a program would be costly an era in which the State funding is scarce. But such an approach could reduce long-term costs of family breakdown, which was estimated at up to 100 billion pounds when lost crime, unemployment, taxes and other factors are included.
Mr Duncan Smith said couples heading for separation in Norway were able to "work through what will happen to their children," which has "a very big effect in your thinking."
"Many of them think again about what will embark on once they really understand the consequences of their actions later," he said.
"This is an excellent approach and exactly the kind of thing to look at.
"Many couples break without understanding the consequences for their families. We should encourage people to face reality and make adequate arrangements to ensure the best result for your children. "
In 1994, the Norwegian Ministry of family affairs define a schema to provide subsidies for relationship education programs, teaching couples communication skills and how to resolve conflicts. By 2008, the Norwegian Government was dispensing funds worth £ 600 thousand to charities and relationship advice from private groups.
The Government also launched its own Government programme for the education of the relationship to parents in the first year after the birth of her first child, which is often the most difficult period in a marriage.
In recent years, more couples have been married and less have divorced as education programmes of relations to obtain greater visibility in Norway.
Relate the British relationship support group, supported the Norwegian approach and welcomed Mr Duncan Smith.
Jenny North, head of public policy, said EMP also many couples single turn for support when their relationship breaks down, when previous education could stop problems that arise.
"We are particularly pleased to see that the example of Norway explicitly defined to reach couples who are cohabiting, before deciding whether or not to marry," she said. "This is vital given the statistics which show that cohabiting couples with children, are more at risk of discrimination of couples relationship.
"The Government of Norway took an innovative approach to support relationship and have even gone so far to call part of couple relationships of public health. Concern has been putting pressure on recent Governments to share this view and it seems that our new Government certainly is taking this matter seriously ".
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