Pennsylvania Court & Family Education Guide
Information for anyone navigating a court order, custody case, or probation requirement in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania court ordered it?
Pennsylvania doesn't have a single statewide anger-management statute. County probation departments order counseling case by case under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9763, and pretrial diversion (Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition) conditions are set locally by each county's district attorney.
A civil Protection From Abuse (PFA) order under 23 Pa.C.S. § 6108 focuses on no-contact and safety relief — it can require the other party to reimburse your counseling costs, but it doesn't by itself require them to complete a class. Because requirements vary by county, confirm with the specific court, probation office, or DA's office handling your case.
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, Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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, Pennsylvania-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 — Pennsylvania civil and family-law sections first, then criminal law.
Civil & family law
Custody Factors — Abuse & Safety23 Pa.C.S. § 5328
In custody disputes, courts must weigh 16 statutory factors, with substantial weighted consideration given to which party is more likely to ensure the child's safety, and must consider present and past abuse by either party or household members.
Protection From Abuse Act — Available Relief23 Pa.C.S. § 6108
A civil PFA order can bar contact, remove firearms, grant temporary custody, order support payments, and require the defendant to reimburse the victim for losses tied to the abuse, including counseling and moving expenses. The Act does not itself compel the defendant to enroll in counseling.
PFA Act — Definitions of “Abuse”23 Pa.C.S. § 6102
Defines “abuse” for PFA purposes (attempted or actual bodily injury, placing someone in reasonable fear of imminent serious injury, false imprisonment, sexual abuse, child abuse, or stalking-type conduct between family/household members or intimate partners).
Criminal law
Simple Assault18 Pa.C.S. § 2701
Covers attempting or causing bodily injury, or menacing another with fear of imminent serious injury. Generally a second-degree misdemeanor, a first-degree misdemeanor if the victim is a child under 12 and the offender is 18 or older.
Aggravated Assault18 Pa.C.S. § 2702
Covers causing or attempting serious bodily injury, or injury with a deadly weapon, often involving officers or other protected classes; graded a first- or second-degree felony depending on the subsection.
Harassment18 Pa.C.S. § 2709
Covers repeated unwanted physical contact, following, or communicating to alarm or annoy another person; generally a summary offense, rising to a third-degree misdemeanor for course-of-conduct/cyber-harassment provisions.
Conditions of Probation (including counseling)42 Pa.C.S. § 9763
Authorizes courts to condition county probation on a defendant undergoing individual or family counseling, or medical/psychiatric treatment. Courts and diversion programs sometimes use this authority to require anger-management-type counseling case-by-case.