Why do I need to take a Parental Education Class before I can get a divorce in Massachusetts?

Here in Massachusetts, if you want to get a divorce and if there are minor children of the marriage, then both parties must take a court certified Parental Education Class before the divorce can be made final.

The class is offered through independent agencies but is certified by the Probate and Family Court system.  It’s a 6 hour class, broken up into 2 days of 3 hours each.

Spouses cannot attend the classes together.  They must take it on different days.

The Parental Education class teaches parents how to co-parent children together after a divorce.  They go through what should or should not be said to children and how to handle problems with children as a result of the divorce.  The class is usually ran by counselors or therapists.

At the end of the course, if you attend both classes, they will give you a certificate of attendance that’s a yellow piece of paper.  This certificate must be filed with the court to show proof that both parties attended.