Course Content
The Administrative Office of The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has approved the online class, Children in Between–Online offered through The Center for Divorce Education, to satisfy the Parent Education requirement in the absence of in person classes. The curriculum was designed to educate and instruct parents about the following topics:
- How to prepare a parenting plan;
- Mediation and other non-judicial methods available to assist parents in achieving agreement on a parenting plan;
- The negative effects on children of divorce and family dissolution, and the ways in which parents can lessen those negative effects;
- The negative effects on children of domestic abuse; and
- Resources available for dealing with domestic abuse.
Mandatory attendance
In proceedings involving minor children the parents shall be required to complete parent education, and shall file with the circuit clerk a certificate of completion. For good cause shown, parent education may be waived if the court places on the record a finding attendance is not necessary, and states the specific reasons for the finding. In the absence of such a waiver, parent education shall be completed by both parents prior to any mediation or other non- judicial dispute resolution undertaken to achieve agreement on a parenting plan. If mediation or other non-judicial dispute resolution is not required, parent education shall be completed by both parents prior to the final hearing. If one or both parents have failed to timely complete parent education, the court may halt proceedings, and in such circumstances shall enter a scheduling order setting the next hearing for a date certain and requiring the parents to complete parent education prior to that hearing. For good cause shown the court may conduct proceedings despite the failure of one or both parents to timely complete parent education.
