Wyoming Divorce Parenting Class Requirement

If your Wyoming divorce involves minor children, there is a good chance the judge will order both parents to complete a parenting education class before the divorce is finalized. Missing this requirement — or using an unapproved provider — can delay your decree for weeks.

Who Has to Take the Class

Under Wyo. Stat. section 20-2-201, Wyoming District Court judges have broad authority to order divorcing parents to attend a parent education course. This is not a statewide blanket mandate — the requirement depends on the judge assigned to your case and local court rules. But in practice, most judicial districts order it when minor children are involved.

Both parents must complete the class. It is not a joint session — each parent takes it separately and files their own completion certificate.

What the Class Covers

Wyoming's court-approved parenting courses, such as the Wyoming Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course, typically cover:

• The psychological impact of divorce on children at different developmental stages
• Conflict management strategies between co-parents
• Family stabilization during and after the dissolution process
• Communication techniques for high-conflict situations
• Recognizing stress indicators in children
• Domestic violence awareness and detection

Classes range from 4 to 12 hours depending on the county and provider, though most fall in the 4-to-6-hour range.

Cost

Registration fees typically run between $25 and $75 per parent. This is paid directly to the course provider, not to the court. The fee waiver process for filing fees does not cover parenting class costs — even if you received an indigency waiver for the $160 filing fee, you still pay for the class out of pocket.

Online vs. In-Person

Many Wyoming counties accept online parenting classes, which makes completion easier for parents in rural areas. However, individual judges retain complete discretion over which format they accept. An online certificate from a provider the judge does not recognize will be rejected.

Before you register and pay for any class — online or in-person — call the Clerk of the District Court in your filing county and ask for the list of court-approved providers. Some counties maintain a printed list; others direct you to specific websites.

Filing the Certificate

Once you complete the class, the provider issues a certificate of completion. You must file this certificate with the Clerk of the District Court. The judge will check for it before signing the final Decree of Divorce.

Plan ahead on timing. If you wait until the last minute to take the class and the next available session is three weeks out, your finalization date slips accordingly. Start the class as soon as you know it is required — ideally during the service and disclosure phase, before you reach the finalization stage.

What Happens If You Skip It

If the judge ordered the class and you do not file a completion certificate, the court will not sign your Decree. In contested cases, failing to complete the class can also be used as evidence of a lack of good-faith effort in co-parenting, which may influence the judge's custody determination.

The Wyoming Divorce Filing Process Guide includes a timeline showing when to complete the parenting class relative to your other filing deadlines, so it never becomes the bottleneck.

See more Wyoming guides →