Kentucky Court & Family Education Guide
Information for anyone navigating a court order, custody case, or probation requirement in Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky court ordered it?
Kentucky's assault and domestic violence offenses (KRS 508.030, 508.032) do not themselves set a counseling requirement. Batterer programs appear in the custody statute: under KRS 403.315, a party found to have committed two or more acts of domestic violence cannot be awarded custody or unsupervised visitation without first completing a batterer's intervention program from a certified provider, plus other steps. KRS 403.7505 covers certification standards for court-mandated treatment providers.
On the civil side, a domestic violence order under KRS 403.740 can last up to three years and may direct the parties to counseling services available in the community. Violating an order of protection is both contempt and a crime under KRS 403.763. Orders differ from case to 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, Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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, Kentucky-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 — Kentucky civil and family-law sections first, then criminal law.
Civil & family law
Child custody: best-interest factorsKRS 403.270
Custody is decided on the child's best interests, with a presumption favoring joint custody and equal parenting time. Before other factors, the court must consider allegations of domestic violence and abuse and make written findings on how they affect the child.
Domestic violence and custody presumptionsKRS 403.315
The joint custody presumption does not apply to a party against whom a domestic violence order has been entered. Two or more acts of domestic violence create a rebuttable presumption against joint custody, and custody or unsupervised visitation requires completing listed steps, including a certified batterer's intervention program.
Domestic violence ordersKRS 403.740, 403.750, 403.763
After a hearing, a court may issue a domestic violence order that can bar abuse and contact, set distances of up to 500 feet, and address temporary custody. Orders last up to three years and can be reissued. Violating an order is contempt and a criminal offense.
Criminal law
Assault, fourth degreeKRS 508.030
A Class A misdemeanor for intentionally or wantonly causing physical injury to another person, or recklessly causing it with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.
Assault of a family member or member of an unmarried coupleKRS 508.032
A Class D felony applying to a third or subsequent fourth-degree assault within five years where the relationship meets the domestic violence definition in KRS 403.720. A jury or judge may decline the felony penalty and convict on a misdemeanor.
Stalking, second degreeKRS 508.150
A Class A misdemeanor for intentionally stalking another person while making an explicit or implicit threat meant to cause reasonable fear of sexual contact, physical injury or death.
Violation of an order of protectionKRS 403.763
Intentionally violating an order after being served or notified is a Class A misdemeanor, and can be a Class D felony in listed repeat situations involving force or a threat of physical harm.