New Mexico Court & Family Education Guide
Information for anyone navigating a court order, custody case, or probation requirement in New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico court ordered it?
New Mexico builds treatment into its household-member battery statute. Under NMSA § 30-3-15(C), a person convicted of battery against a household member must participate in and complete a domestic violence offender treatment or intervention program approved by the Children, Youth and Families Department under its rules. Probation after a suspended or deferred sentence can run up to two years, so the court sets the schedule.
On the civil side, an order of protection under the Family Violence Protection Act, NMSA § 40-13-5, may require the restrained party, at their own expense, to attend professional counseling, including programs for perpetrators of domestic abuse, and may address temporary custody and visitation. 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, New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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, New Mexico-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 — New Mexico civil and family-law sections first, then criminal law.
Civil & family law
Order of protection: contents and remediesNMSA § 40-13-5
A court can grant sole possession of the residence, temporary custody, visitation, support, a no-contact order, and reimbursement of costs such as medical bills and counseling. It may also order the restrained party into professional counseling, at their own expense, with safety as the primary consideration for custody and visitation terms.
Petitions, emergency orders, and hearingsNMSA §§ 40-13-3, 40-13-3.2, 40-13-4, 40-13-5.1
The Family Violence Protection Act sets out the petition for an order of protection, ex parte emergency orders, temporary orders with a hearing, and extended orders. If a custody or support case is already pending, the custody or support part of a protection order is handled by the court that has jurisdiction over that case.
Criminal law
Battery against a household memberNMSA § 30-3-15
The unlawful, intentional touching or application of force to a household member in a rude, insolent, or angry manner is a misdemeanor. Total incarceration cannot exceed 364 days, and incarceration plus probation cannot exceed two years. Conviction requires completing an approved offender treatment or intervention program.
Other household-member offensesNMSA §§ 30-3-12, 30-3-13, 30-3-14, 30-3-16, 30-3-18
Article 3 separately covers assault, aggravated assault, assault with intent to commit a violent felony, aggravated battery, and criminal damage to property when committed against a household member.
Aggravated stalkingNMSA § 30-3A-3.1
Stalking becomes aggravated when the person knowingly violates a protection order, violates release or bond conditions, possesses a deadly weapon, or the victim is under sixteen. A first conviction is a fourth degree felony and a later one a third degree felony, and the court must order professional counseling at the offender's expense.
Violating an order of protectionNMSA § 40-13-6
Section 40-13-6 covers service and duration of orders of protection and makes violating one a criminal offense. Because the text reviewed was an older version, penalties are not described here.