The Minnesota State Legislature requires that all parents filing for divorce attend an educational program. The Hennepin County District Court requires that children of a divorce attend an educational program, as well.

Educational programs are required because parents have found them helpful to understand the legal system and their responsibilities. If you don’t attend the classes, a judge may refuse to schedule a hearing or grant your divorce. (However, if the children in the marriage for which you’re filing for divorce weren’t born to or adopted by both parties, you do not need to attend classes.)

You should finish these educational programs as soon as possible after you file for divorce. Your children should attend their program within 60 days of you filing for divorce. You must attend the programs before your divorce is final.

Your educational program will be determined based on the type of agreement you’ve reached within your divorce and child custody proceedings.

You’ve reached a child custody and visitation agreement

If you’ve reached a child custody and visitation agreement, you’re only required to attend one parental class after your case has been filed. The following courses will satisfy your requirements:

• Hennepin County District Court Education Video
  This class is 1.5 hours, and it’s held Tuesdays at 8AM at the Hennepin County Government Center. There are some classes held during the evening and at suburban locations, but these options are limited.
  To register or find out more about class dates, call 612-348-6734.
• The Storefront Group Co-Parenting Program
  The Hennepin County District Court, in conjunction with the state legislature, has approved this class. With your participation, you’ll receive a certificate of completion. You’ll need to file this certificate with the court.
  This class lasts 4.5 hours. It costs $60 per person.
  For more information or to register, call Storefront/Youth Action at 612-861-1675.
• Chrysalis’ Shared Parenting
  The Hennepin County District Court, in conjunction with the state legislature, has approved this class. With your participation, you’ll receive a certificate of completion. You’ll need to file this certificate with the court.
  This class lasts 4 hours. It costs $55 per person.
  For more information or to register, call Chrysalis at 612-870-2426.

You weren’t able to reach a custody and visitation agreement

If you haven’t reached a custody and visitation agreement, you’ll need to attend three classes.

Following are the two mandatory classes:

• Hennepin County District Court Education Video with Mediation
  This class is 4 hours long. It’s held every other Tuesday at 8AM at the Hennepin County Government Center. There’s a limited schedule for the class at suburban locations in the evening.
  There is no fee for this class.
  For more class locations/dates or for more information, call 612-348-6734.
• The LEAD Program
  LEAD stands for “Legal and Economic Aspects of Divorce”. This class last 3.5 hours. It costs $60 per person.
  With your participation, you’ll receive a certificate of completion. You’ll need to file this certificate with the court.
  For more information or to register, call Storefront/Youth Action at 612-861-1675.

For your third class, you may choose from the Storefront/Youth Action Co-Parenting Program or the Chrysalis’ Shared Parenting Program, both detailed above.

Educational programs for children of divorcing parents

All children of divorcing parents between the ages of 6 and 17 are required to attend an educational program.

The educational programs are designed to address children’s feelings when their parents are divorcing or separating. The classes teach your children skills to help them express and work through these feelings.

You can choose from the following educational programs for your children:

• The Storefront Group Co-Kids Program
  This class costs $45 per person.
  Call 612-861-1675 for program content and registration materials.
• Chrysalis’ Sandcastles Program
  This class also costs $45 per person.
  Call 612-870-2426 for program content and registration materials.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 1:55 pm and is filed under Area Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.