Divorce education by state · New Jersey
Divorce Education Classes in New Jersey
In New Jersey, the court-required divorce-education requirement is the Parents' Education Program (N.J.S.A. 2A:34-12.1 to 2A:34-12.8 (the Parents' Education Act); administered under NJ Courts Directive #11-19), overseen by the New Jersey Judiciary — each county's Superior Court Family Division runs the sessions under Directive #11-19, with staff designated by the county's Assignment Judge. Here's who has to take it, whether you can do it online, how long it takes, what it costs, and how to find a course the Superior Court Family Division in the county where your case is filed will accept.
Quick answer: divorce education in New Jersey
In-person required. New Jersey is the opposite of a shop-for-a-provider state: there are no commercial providers to compare, because the Parents' Education Program is run by the court system itself. Under the Parents' Education Act (N.J.S.A. 2A:34-12.1 to -12.8) and Directive #11-19, you pay a flat $25 registration fee with your first pleading and the county Family Division schedules you into its own session — each party attends separately, and sessions must be offered at least twice a month. A paid 'New Jersey parent education class' from a national website cannot satisfy the requirement; the court never asks you to find a class at all. the Superior Court Family Division in the county where your case is filed decides what counts — confirm the course and format before you enroll or pay.
At a glance
| Is divorce education required? | Yes — required statewide for divorcing parents with minor children |
|---|---|
| Who takes it & when | All parties to a New Jersey action for divorce, nullity, or separate maintenance — plus dissolutions of civil unions and domestic partnerships — who have minor children in common must attend the court-run Parents' Education Program before the judgment is entered, unless an exemption applies. |
| Course name | Parents' Education Program |
| Legal basis | N.J.S.A. 2A:34-12.1 to 2A:34-12.8 (the Parents' Education Act); administered under NJ Courts Directive #11-19 |
| Deadline | There is no self-enrollment deadline because you cannot self-enroll: after your first pleading is filed with the $25 fee, the county Family Division sends you a Scheduling Notice with your session date. Both parties must complete the program before the entry of the judgment of divorce or dissolution, and a party who fails to appear twice is referred to the judge. |
| Typical length | One court-run session per party (spouses attend separate sessions). Neither the Parents’ Education Act nor Directive #11-19 fixes a statewide hour count — your Scheduling Notice gives the date, time, and location. |
| Typical cost | A flat $25 registration fee per party, paid to the court with your filing fee — there is no separate tuition, because the court itself runs the program. The fee (and the program) does not apply if a domestic-violence restraining order exists between the parties. |
| In person or online? | In-person required |
New Jersey-specific rules to know
- The program is court-run — the county Family Division schedules you and there is no approved-provider list, so any website selling a 'NJ Parents' Education class' is selling something the court will not credit.
- The $25 registration fee is set by statute (deposited in the Parents’ Education Program Fund, N.J.S.A. 2A:34-12.2) and is submitted with the filing fee of your complaint, counterclaim, or answer; under Rule 1:5-6(c)(1) a required pleading filed without it is deficient.
- Exemptions under the Act and Directive #11-19: a temporary or final domestic-violence restraining order between the parties, any other order restraining contact with the other party or their child, a first pleading that asks to incorporate a property settlement agreement, or other good cause found by the court.
- Spouses attend separate sessions, and the court must treat a party’s failure to attend as a factor in custody and parenting-time determinations — a party who fails to appear twice is referred to the judge.
- All communications made by participants during the program are confidential and inadmissible in court, and program representatives may not solicit or counsel participants for a year after completion.
Find an approved divorce-education class in New Jersey
Start with the official state or court list — that's the one the Superior Court Family Division in the county where your case is filed is most likely to accept — then confirm the specific course with your court or clerk:
Prefer to look on a map? Search Google Maps for divorce-education classes in New Jersey — then check any provider against the official guidance above and your court's order before enrolling.
Divorce education vs. a parenting class: "divorce education" focuses on the divorce process itself and how it affects children, while a court-ordered parenting class is the broader custody / co-parenting requirement. In many states the two overlap or are the same course. Read our overview of how court-ordered parenting classes work.
Source & accuracy: compiled from the New Jersey Judiciary — each county's Superior Court Family Division runs the sessions under Directive #11-19, with staff designated by the county's Assignment Judge and official New Jersey court sources. Requirements change and can vary by county and case — always confirm the course, format, hours, cost, and deadline with your court before enrolling. Sources: njcourts.gov/sites/default/files/notices/2019/06/n190618b.pdf, law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-2a/section-2a-34-12-3, njcourts.gov/self-help/divorce.