Washington Court & Family Education Guide

Information for anyone navigating a court order, custody case, or probation requirement in Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington court ordered it?

The Washington statutes reviewed for this page do not require a generic anger-management class after an assault conviction. Where domestic violence treatment is ordered in a protection-order case, RCW 7.105.310 lets the court order the respondent to participate in a state-certified domestic violence perpetrator treatment program approved under RCW 43.20A.735. Assault in the fourth degree, RCW 9A.36.041, is a gross misdemeanor, with limited felony enhancements for repeat domestic violence.

Civil protection orders are governed by chapter 7.105 RCW, and knowingly violating certain order provisions is a gross misdemeanor under RCW 7.105.450. In family court, RCW 26.09.191 allows limits on a parent's residential time and decision-making based on a history of domestic violence, and lets a court tie contact to completion of treatment. 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, Washington 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 Washington 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, Washington-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 — Washington civil and family-law sections first, then criminal law.

Civil & family law

Criminal law