Divorce Education Class for Parents

The State of Utah requires all parties with minor children desiring to divorce to attend the “Divorce Education Class” and the “Divorce Orientation Class” before it will grant a final divorce. These classes are beneficial to parents as it discusses the impact that divorce has on their children. It encourages a mature approach to determining custody as well as keeping the children’s needs as the primary consideration, rather than the wants or needs of the parents.

The following are the GOALS of the Divorce Education Class as set forth on the Utah State Court’s website:

Give parents information which will help them support their children’s emotional well-being both during the divorce process and later as a divorced family.

Create a better understanding of how and why conflict between parents creates stress for children whether children are exposed to that conflict in an intact family or in a divorced family. The class will encourage greater effort by both parents to decrease the conflict their children are exposed to.

Encourage parents to cooperate with each other in co-parenting their children if possible. If that is not possible, then parents are encouraged to engage in “parallel parenting.”

Encourage parents to understand that, in most cases, children need continued and meaningful relationships with both parents if it is safe to do so.