.svg)
Georgia Court & Family Education Guide
Information for anyone navigating a court order, custody case, or probation requirement in Georgia that involves anger management, parenting, co-parenting, or substance-abuse education.
What does Clearway offer?
People are sometimes ordered or referred to an educational program as part of a family-law, custody, probation, or other Georgia court-related matter. The type of program required can depend on the circumstances of the case and the exact wording of the court order.
Clearway Institute offers four self-paced online courses: anger management, parenting, co-parenting, and substance-abuse education. Not every course is appropriate for every court order, and completing an online course does not automatically mean a particular Georgia court, probation department, or agency will accept it — always read your order carefully and confirm the required program with the court, probation officer, attorney, or other referring agency when you're not sure.
Which type of class do you need?
Start with whichever matches your order or situation — each course page has the full curriculum before you enroll.
What if a Georgia court ordered it?
Georgia is more prescriptive than most states here: when sentencing a family-violence offense, revoking probation, or issuing certain protective orders, a judge is generally required to order a certified Family Violence Intervention Program (FVIP) under O.C.G.A. § 19-13-16, unless the court finds on the record that it's inappropriate.
An FVIP is a distinct, state-regulated program — not the same thing as a general educational anger-management course — so if your Georgia order names an FVIP specifically, that's the category to look for. Whether a judge will accept a non-FVIP course instead varies by court and case type, which is exactly the kind of thing to confirm directly with your judge or probation officer.
What's the difference between classes?
Parenting vs. co-parenting. Parenting covers general child-development, discipline, and communication skills, and comes up in a wide range of family cases. Co-parenting is built specifically for separated or divorcing parents — coordinating two households, handling custody transitions, and keeping kids out of the middle — and is the more common requirement in a custody or divorce order.
Anger management vs. a certified intervention program. Many states, Georgia included, treat general educational anger-management coursework as legally distinct from a state-certified batterer intervention, family-violence intervention, or abuser-treatment program ordered specifically in a domestic-violence case — see “What if a Georgia court ordered it?” above for how that distinction works here. If your order names a specific certified program by name, an educational anger-management course usually isn't an automatic substitute — check with your court.
Where can I verify requirements?
The most reliable answer always comes from whoever issued your order — the court clerk, your probation or parole officer, your attorney, or the agency that referred you. Below are free, Georgia-specific places to start if you need legal help, counseling, or crisis support along the way.
Legal reference material
For anyone who wants to read the underlying statutes for themselves, here is the reference material this guide is based on — Georgia civil and family-law sections first, then criminal law.
Civil & family law
Protective Orders in Family Violence CasesO.C.G.A. § 19-13-4
Lets a court issuing a family violence protective order grant relief including ordering the respondent to receive appropriate psychiatric or psychological services to help prevent the recurrence of family violence, along with custody, support, and no-contact provisions.
Family Violence Intervention Program Participation RequiredO.C.G.A. § 19-13-16
Requires a court, when sentencing or revoking probation for a family-violence offense, or issuing certain protective orders, to order the defendant into a certified family violence intervention program (FVIP) unless the court finds on the record that participation would be inappropriate.
Child Custody Factors, Including Family Violence HistoryO.C.G.A. § 19-9-3
Lists factors a judge may weigh in custody decisions, including any evidence of family violence and each parent's mental and physical health. Where family violence is found, the court must treat the victim-parent's and child's safety as primary and may order supervised visitation.
Criminal law
Simple BatteryO.C.G.A. § 16-5-23
Defines simple battery as intentionally making insulting or provoking physical contact, or intentionally causing physical harm. Generally a misdemeanor, becoming a more serious “misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature” when the victim is a family/household member or falls into other protected categories.
BatteryO.C.G.A. § 16-5-23.1
Covers battery causing substantial physical harm or visible bodily harm. First offense is a misdemeanor; a third offense is a felony (1–5 years), with enhanced penalties when the victim is a household member.
Aggravated AssaultO.C.G.A. § 16-5-21
Covers assault with intent to murder, rape, or rob, with a deadly weapon, or by strangulation. Base penalty is 1–20 years; penalties increase for assaults against household/family members, officers, seniors, or in schools.
Conditions of ProbationO.C.G.A. § 42-8-35
Authorizes courts to impose probation conditions such as evaluations, testing, and completion of rehabilitative programming or mental-health treatment as indicated by a risk and needs assessment, which in practice can include anger-management or behavioral counseling.