WHEN Scientologists marry, the words conveyed in the church’s wedding service typically contain plenty of warnings that couples are expected to uphold their commitments even when romance and good fortune wane: “Know that life is stark and often somewhat grim, and tiredness and fret and pain and sickness do beget a state of mind where spring romance is far away and dead.”

Couples like Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise who are looking to end their marriages are expected to find — through the Scientology organization — ways of working things out. So divorce for Scientologists can often be a long and difficult process, according to several former members of the church.

As in other religions, the ultimate dissolution of a marriage is “something that’s taken up in a legal court,” said the Rev. Ann Pearce, a spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology of Washington State. “That’s between two individuals, just like anybody of any religion getting divorced,” she said, adding, “There’s no ceremony recognizing divorce in the Church of Scientology.” But along the way, former church members say, couples face unusual marital counseling sessions and are sometimes pressured to use in-house divorce lawyers.

One former church member who underwent this type of marital counseling is Carmen Llywelyn, 37, an actress and photographer who was once married to Jason Lee, best known for his starring role in the NBC comedy “My Name Is Earl.”