Required Parenting Classes for Divorce in Connecticut (2026 Guide)

Connecticut requires every divorcing parent with a child under 18 to complete the Parenting Education Program (PEP) within 60 days of filing, under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-69b. The court-approved course runs six hours, costs $150, and must be finished before a judge grants the dissolution. Fee waivers are available for qualifying low-income parents.

The parenting class divorce Connecticut requirement is one of the few non-negotiable steps in a Connecticut dissolution involving minor children. Judges will not enter final orders on custody, parenting time, or the divorce itself until each parent files a certificate of completion. This guide explains the statute, the cost, the deadlines, how to register, the narrow exceptions, and how the class fits into the wider Connecticut divorce timeline.

Key Facts: Connecticut Divorce and Parenting Class

As of August 2026. Verify current amounts with your local Superior Court clerk before filing.

What Is the Connecticut Parenting Education Program?

The Connecticut Parenting Education Program is a court-mandated, six-hour co-parenting class required in every divorce, custody, or visitation case involving a minor child under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-69b. The Judicial Branch establishes the program to teach parents how family restructuring affects children. It costs $150 per parent and must be completed within 60 days of filing.

The parent education program divorce curriculum is standardized statewide. Under the statute, the course covers the developmental stages of children, how children adjust to parental separation, dispute resolution and conflict management, guidelines for visitation, stress reduction in children, and cooperative parenting techniques. The goal is not to counsel parents about their own relationship but to reduce the harm that ongoing parental conflict causes children. Connecticut modeled this family stabilization course on research showing that structured co-parenting education measurably lowers post-divorce litigation. The class is delivered by court-approved community agencies rather than by the judge, and parents attend separately from their spouse in most cases. Completion is documented with a certificate that the provider files with the court, which becomes part of the permanent case record.

When Is the Parenting Class Required in Connecticut?

The court must order both parents to complete the co-parenting class required whenever a minor child is involved in a family action, per Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-69b. This applies to divorce (dissolution of marriage), legal separation, annulment, and standalone custody or visitation cases. Parents must finish the program within 60 days of the case filing date.

The requirement is triggered by the presence of a child under 18, not by whether custody is contested. Even parents who agree on a complete parenting plan must still complete the class before the court enters final orders. The 60-day clock begins when the case is filed, which in Connecticut practice is tied to the return date rather than the day papers are served. Two categories of case are statutorily excluded: actions for relief from abuse under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-15 (restraining orders) and juvenile matters under chapter 815t. For the vast majority of divorcing parents, however, the family stabilization course is mandatory. If you are unsure whether your case qualifies, a personalized divorce roadmap can map the exact steps and deadlines that apply to your situation.

How Much Does the Parenting Class Cost in Connecticut?

The Connecticut Parenting Education Program costs $150 per parent, payable in advance and non-refundable, as set by the Judicial Branch. Each parent pays separately, so a two-parent divorce carries a combined $300 program cost. This is separate from the $360 divorce filing fee and the roughly $50 service-of-process charge, which together bring baseline court costs to about $400.

The $150 fee covers the full six-hour curriculum and the completion certificate. Payment is generally due at registration and, once paid, is not refunded even if you miss a session — though most providers allow you to reschedule to a later date at no charge. Parents who cannot afford the fee may apply for a waiver by filing form JD-FM-75, the Application for Waiver of Fees, Appointment of Counsel and Payment of Necessary Expenses and Costs (Family). If the court has already granted a fee waiver in your divorce case, you must provide the signed order to the program provider, who will then waive the $150 charge. Because the divorce class for parents is a fixed, predictable expense, it should be budgeted alongside the filing fee. To estimate the larger financial picture, including support obligations, use our child support calculator for a Connecticut-specific figure.

Connecticut Parenting Class Cost Breakdown

How Long Is the Course and What Is the Format?

The Connecticut parent education program divorce course is six hours long and is offered either as a single 6-hour session or as two 3-hour sessions on separate days. Providers schedule classes during evenings and weekends to accommodate working parents, and virtual classes are always split into two 3-hour sessions. Parents must attend the full six hours to earn a completion certificate.

Attendance is strict because the certificate certifies completion of the entire curriculum. Arriving late, leaving early, or missing one of the two 3-hour sessions typically voids that session and requires the parent to repeat it. In-person classes are held at community agency locations across Connecticut's judicial districts, while virtual sessions run over video conference with cameras required so the provider can verify participation. The co-parenting class required content is identical in both formats. Because the course is interactive — involving group discussion of conflict-management and cooperative-parenting scenarios — providers usually cap class size and require pre-registration. Parents in high-conflict situations, or where domestic violence is a concern, can request to attend a different session than their spouse; parents are never forced to sit in the same class together. Understanding the difference between legal and physical child custody arrangements before the class helps parents get the most out of the curriculum.

How Do You Register for the Connecticut Parenting Class?

Parents register for the Connecticut Parenting Education Program directly with a court-approved provider, not through the court clerk, and must do so promptly to meet the 60-day statutory deadline under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-69b. The Judicial Branch maintains a list of authorized agencies in publication JD-FM-151, and many parents register online through the Connecticut Family Support Association.

The registration steps are straightforward. First, obtain the list of approved providers from the courthouse or the Judicial Branch website. Second, choose a provider offering a session — in person or virtual — that lets you finish within your 60-day window. Third, pay the $150 fee or submit your fee-waiver documentation. Fourth, attend and complete all six hours. Fifth, confirm the provider files your certificate of completion with the court. The certificate is the proof the judge needs, and without it on file, the court will not finalize the divorce. Parents should register within the first two to three weeks after filing, because popular evening and weekend slots fill quickly and a late class can delay the entire dissolution. If you need help coordinating the class with other filing deadlines, a Connecticut family lawyer can manage the sequence — you can find a divorce attorney serving your county through our directory.

What Happens If You Do Not Complete the Parenting Class?

A Connecticut judge will not grant a final divorce decree until both parents file certificates of completion for the Parenting Education Program, so skipping the class stops the case from finishing. The court can also issue orders compelling attendance, and repeated non-compliance may be treated as contempt. The 60-day deadline is directory, but the completion requirement is absolute before final judgment.

In practical terms, an incomplete parenting class divorce Connecticut case simply stalls. Even if every other issue — property, support, and the parenting plan — is fully resolved and agreed, the judge cannot enter the dissolution until the certificates are on file. If one parent refuses to attend, the other parent's completion still counts, and the court may proceed to order the reluctant parent to comply. Willful, ongoing refusal despite a court order can expose a parent to a contempt finding, which carries potential sanctions. Because the class is inexpensive and quick relative to the delay non-attendance causes, there is no strategic benefit to avoiding it. The far more common problem is simple scheduling: parents who register late find that all sessions within their window are full, pushing completion — and the divorce — back by weeks. Filing early and registering immediately is the reliable fix.

Are There Exceptions to the Parenting Class Requirement?

Connecticut law provides three narrow exceptions to the parenting class requirement under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-69b: the parties may agree, with court approval, not to participate; the court may find on motion that participation is unnecessary; or the parents may complete a comparable parenting education program instead. Each exception requires affirmative court action — parents cannot simply opt out on their own.

These exceptions are applied sparingly. Judges rarely approve a full waiver of the family stabilization course when minor children are involved, because the statute's default is mandatory participation. The comparable-program exception is the most commonly used: a parent who has already completed an equivalent, court-recognized co-parenting course — for example, in a prior custody case or in another state — may ask the court to accept that completion in lieu of repeating Connecticut's program. To use any exception, a parent typically files a written motion and the court rules on it; approval is discretionary. Cases involving relief-from-abuse restraining orders under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-15 are excluded from the program requirement entirely by statute, reflecting the recognition that mandatory joint-topic education is inappropriate where safety is at issue. If domestic violence is a factor in your case, safety planning takes priority — the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233.

How the Parenting Class Fits the Connecticut Divorce Timeline

The parenting class runs concurrently with Connecticut's 90-day waiting period, so completing it early does not lengthen the divorce, and delaying it can. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-44, one spouse must reside in Connecticut for 12 months before a final decree, and a 90-day waiting period runs from the return date. The 60-day class deadline fits comfortably inside that window.

Connecticut divorces follow a predictable sequence. A spouse files a summons and complaint, which sets a return date; the mandatory 90-day waiting period begins from that return date, not the filing date. The 60-day parenting-class deadline therefore falls squarely within the earliest phase of the case, meaning a parent who completes the class in month one will have satisfied the requirement long before the 90-day clock expires. For an uncontested divorce with a full agreement, a couple can sometimes finalize shortly after 90 days — but only if both certificates are already filed. In contested cases, the class is a minor early step compared with discovery, negotiation, and possible trial, which can extend the case to a year or more. Connecticut recognizes both no-fault grounds (irretrievable breakdown) and fault grounds under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-40; the ground chosen does not change the parenting-class requirement. Property is divided by equitable distribution under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-81, meaning a fair — not necessarily equal — division. Understanding equitable distribution early helps parents focus the class time on co-parenting rather than financial anxiety.