Idaho Court & Family Education Guide
Information for anyone navigating a court order, custody case, or probation requirement in Idaho 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 Idaho 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 Idaho 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 Idaho court ordered it?
Idaho's domestic violence statute includes a counseling step. Under Idaho Code § 18-918(7), a person convicted under the section must undergo, at their own expense, an evaluation by a court-approved person or agency, and if the evaluation recommends counseling or treatment, the court shall order the person to complete it in addition to any other sentence. Treatment must follow standards set or approved by the Idaho council on domestic violence and victim assistance.
On the civil side, a court hearing a civil protection order petition under Idaho Code § 39-6306 may require the respondent to participate in treatment or counseling, and relief other than costs lasts up to one year unless extended. Idaho's custody statute, § 32-717, also lists domestic violence as a factor. Orders differ, so confirm exactly what your own order or sentence requires before enrolling in any course.
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, Idaho 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 Idaho 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, Idaho-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 — Idaho civil and family-law sections first, then criminal law.
Civil & family law
Custody best-interest factorsIdaho Code § 32-717
In divorce cases the court directs custody in the best interests of the children and considers all relevant factors. These include the parents' and child's wishes, the child's relationships and adjustment, continuity and stability, and domestic violence as defined in § 39-6303, whether or not it happened in the child's presence.
Civil protection ordersIdaho Code § 39-6306
After a petition the court must hold a hearing within 14 days. If it finds an immediate and present danger of domestic violence, it may order temporary custody, exclusion from the home, no contact, a stay-away distance, and treatment or counseling. Relief other than costs lasts up to one year and may be extended for good cause.
Criminal law
Domestic violence: assault and batteryIdaho Code § 18-918
Domestic assault and battery against a family or household member are chargeable offenses. A first misdemeanor conviction carries a fine up to $1,000, up to one year in county jail, or both. Felony domestic battery is punishable by up to ten years in prison or a fine up to $10,000.
Violation of a no contact orderIdaho Code § 18-920
Contacting a protected person in violation of a court no contact order is a misdemeanor with a fine up to $1,000, up to one year in county jail, or both. It becomes a felony, with up to five years in prison, after two earlier violations within five years.
Stalking in the first degreeIdaho Code § 18-7905
Stalking becomes first degree when it also involves a violation of a protection or no-contact order or a probation condition, a victim under sixteen, a deadly weapon, or listed prior convictions. It is a felony punishable by one to five years in prison, a fine up to $10,000, or both.