Indiana Court & Family Education Guide
Information for anyone navigating a court order, custody case, or probation requirement in Indiana 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 Indiana 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 Indiana 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 Indiana court ordered it?
Indiana doesn't have a statewide statute requiring a certified anger-management class after a domestic-violence conviction. Counseling usually comes up case by case as a probation condition (see IC 35-38-2-2.3), or in family court: IC 31-17-2-8.3 lets a judge make unsupervised parenting time conditional on completing a batterer's intervention program certified by the Indiana coalition against domestic violence.
On the civil side, protective orders are governed by IC 34-26-5, and IC 34-26-5-9 lists the relief a judge can grant, such as no contact, stay-away terms and parenting-time limits. The statute doesn't itself require the respondent to complete a program. Terms vary by case, so confirm exactly what your own order 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, Indiana 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 Indiana 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, Indiana-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 — Indiana civil and family-law sections first, then criminal law.
Civil & family law
Child custody: best-interest factorsIC 31-17-2-8
Custody is decided on the child's best interests. Listed factors include the child's age and wishes, each parent's wishes, the child's adjustment to home and school, everyone's mental and physical health, and evidence of a pattern of domestic violence by either parent.
Supervised parenting time after a domestic violence convictionIC 31-17-2-8.3
If a noncustodial parent was convicted of a domestic or family violence crime that the child witnessed or heard, a court presumes parenting time will be supervised for one to two years after the crime or until the child is emancipated. The court may also condition unsupervised time on completing a certified batterer's intervention program.
Civil protective ordersIC 34-26-5-9
A court can issue ex parte and, after a hearing, longer-term orders barring contact, requiring a stay-away from home, school or work, and limiting parenting time. Unless the court sets another date, an order lasts two years.
Criminal law
Domestic batteryIC 35-42-2-1.3
Knowingly or intentionally touching a family or household member in a rude, insolent or angry manner is a Class A misdemeanor. The offense is raised to a felony level in listed circumstances, such as moderate or serious bodily injury, a deadly weapon, or a prior battery conviction.
Criminal stalkingIC 35-45-10-5
Stalking is a Level 6 felony. It rises to a higher felony level in listed situations, such as a threat meant to cause reasonable fear, violating a protective or no-contact order, or being armed with a deadly weapon.
Invasion of privacy (violating a protective order)IC 35-46-1-15.1
Knowingly or intentionally violating a protective order, a no-contact order imposed as a condition of pretrial release or probation, or a similar order is a Class A misdemeanor, and a Level 6 felony with a prior unrelated conviction for this offense or stalking.