Tennessee Court & Family Education Guide
Information for anyone navigating a court order, custody case, or probation requirement in Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee court ordered it?
Tennessee has no general statewide anger-management mandate, but its domestic assault statute addresses intervention programs. Under Tenn. Code § 39-13-111(d), a judge using alternative sentencing may order treatment or counseling on violence and control issues, including a batterer's intervention program certified by the Domestic Violence State Coordinating Council. A noncertified program may be ordered only if no certified one is available in the county, and the full program term must be completed.
On the civil side, orders of protection fall under Tenn. Code § 36-3-601 et seq. A court may issue an ex parte order for good cause, a hearing follows within 15 days of service, and an extended order can last up to one year (§ 36-3-605). Parenting and counseling requirements depend on the individual family-court 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, Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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, Tennessee-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 — Tennessee civil and family-law sections first, then criminal law.
Civil & family law
Child custody and best interestTenn. Code Ann. § 36-6-106(a)
Custody decisions turn on the child's best interest under a list of statutory factors. One factor, (a)(11), covers evidence of physical or emotional abuse to the child, to the other parent, or to any other person.
Orders of protectionTenn. Code Ann. §§ 36-3-601, 36-3-605
A person who is a domestic abuse victim, such as a current or former spouse, household member, dating partner or relative, can petition for an order of protection. A court may issue an ex parte order for good cause and must hold a hearing within 15 days of service; an extended order can last up to one year and can be renewed.
Certified batterer intervention programsTenn. Code Ann. § 36-3-601; § 39-13-111(d)
The Domestic Violence State Coordinating Council sets standards for programs that call themselves certified batterer intervention programs. These programs focus on power and control and are treated as distinct from anger management.
Criminal law
AssaultTenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-101
Covers intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury, or intentionally or knowingly causing a person to reasonably fear imminent bodily injury, both Class A misdemeanors. Offensive or provocative physical contact is a Class B misdemeanor.
Domestic assaultTenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-111
Assault against a domestic abuse victim. A first conviction is punished like simple assault; a second bodily-injury conviction carries 30 days to 11 months 29 days in jail and a $350 to $3,500 fine, and a third is a Class E felony with at least 90 days in jail. Enhancements do not apply if 10 or more years passed since the prior conviction.
StalkingTenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-315
A willful course of conduct, at least two separate acts, that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened or threatened. Stalking is a Class A misdemeanor, and aggravated stalking, for example involving a credible threat or violation of a protection order, is a Class E felony.
Violation of an order of protectionTenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-113
Knowingly violating an order of protection issued under the state's protection-order law is a Class A misdemeanor with a fine of $100 to $2,500. Any jail term runs consecutively to a sentence for related conduct unless the court orders otherwise.