Parenting classes · Clark County, Nevada
Clark County Parenting Class (COPE): Rules & Approved Courses
In Clark County (Las Vegas), the court-ordered parenting class is the Eighth Judicial District Court's Seminar for Separating Parents, still widely called the COPE class. A judge orders it case by case in custody matters under EDCR 5.305, and you must finish it and file the certificate within 45 days of the order. Approved providers offer it online or in person, in English and Spanish. Start with the court's Seminar for Separating Parents flyer (PDF).
Quick answer: the Clark County parenting class
Ordered by the judge, due 45 days after the order, available online. EDCR 5.305 lets a Clark County court require the parties to a child custody proceeding to complete a seminar for separating parents. When your judge orders it, you choose an approved provider, finish the seminar, and file the certificate of completion with the Clerk of the Court within 45 days of the order. The court's flyer says the seminar runs in English and Spanish, in person or online, and that the seminar fee may be waived if a judge has already waived your court or filing fees.
Clark County seminar at a glance
| Official name | Seminar for Separating Parents (the court's flyer says it was "formerly referred to as the 'COPE' class") |
|---|---|
| Rule | Eighth Judicial District Court Rule EDCR 5.305 |
| Who takes it | The parties to a child custody proceeding, when the judge orders it — for example a divorce with children, or a custody or paternity case |
| Deadline | Complete the seminar and file the certificate within 45 days of the court order directing completion (EDCR 5.305(c)) |
| Format | In person or online through approved providers (court flyer) |
| Languages | English and Spanish (court flyer); the rule requires seminars to be offered in multiple languages |
| Length | Not set by the rule — each approved provider sets it |
| Cost | Set by each provider; the court does not publish one fee |
| Fee waiver | Possible if a judge waived your court or filing fees; limited, first come, first served — ask the provider before registering |
| Certificate | You file it with the Clerk of the Court, in person or by e-filing |
| If you don't finish | Your noncompliance does not delay the final hearing or order; the court may act to compel compliance (EDCR 5.305(d)) |
Who has to take it under EDCR 5.305
The current rule is discretionary: a court "may require the parties to a child custody proceeding to complete a seminar for separating parents during any proceedings involving custody of a child." That covers a divorce with minor children as well as a custody or paternity case, which is why the Family Law Self-Help Center lists the seminar under both its divorce and its custody topics. Its guide to the final divorce decree says the certificate step is "only needed if the judge ordered you to do the class."
One thing trips people up: the court's provider flyer (revised September 2020) still quotes an older rule saying all parties "shall" complete the seminar. EDCR 5.305 was amended effective June 10, 2022, and now says "may." Read your order. If it directs you to complete the seminar, it is required in your case.
The rule also sets what an approved seminar must cover: inter-parental conflict and its effect on children, cooperative co-parenting, the importance of both parents spending quality time with the children, child development, alternative dispute resolution, and community resources, delivered interactively, in multiple languages, with written materials for each participant.
Approved providers (as listed by the court)
The court does not run the class itself. Its flyer lists the providers below; you register and pay the provider directly. As published on the flyer:
| Provider | Format (as published) | Phone (as published) |
|---|---|---|
| Family Solutions | In person and online | (702) 395-8417 |
| Boss Court Education | Online | (435) 632-6265 |
| Certevia NV Parenting and Divorce | Online | (800) 767-8193 |
| Online Parenting Programs | Online | (866) 504-2883 |
| The Center for Divorce Education | Online | (877) 874-1365 |
| Two Families Now | Online | (877) 874-3642 |
This list comes from the court's flyer, revised September 11, 2020 — the most recent provider list we could find from the court. Providers change. The Family Law Self-Help Center says your judge's staff can direct you to the provider they prefer if the judge has ordered the class, so confirm with them before you pay. No court endorses a provider through this page.
Cost and fee waivers
Each provider sets its own price; neither the rule nor the flyer publishes a fee. The flyer does set out a waiver path: if a District Court judge has waived your court or filing fees, or ordered that you proceed in forma pauperis, the seminar fee may also be waived. Seminar fee waivers are limited and first come, first served, and you must contact the provider to request one before you register — usually by sending the provider the fee-waiver order signed by the judge.
How to file your certificate
The provider gives you a certificate of completion when you finish. Filing it is your job, not the provider's. The court's flyer gives self-represented parents two ways:
- In person at the Family Courts & Services Center, 601 N. Pecos, Las Vegas, NV 89101. Get a customer service number from the first-floor information desk to use an e-file workstation; in-person electronic filing is free.
- Online through the court's e-filing site (nevada.tylerhost.net). You need a scanner, and there is a fee.
File it within 45 days of the order that directed you to take the seminar, and keep a copy.
The seminar is not the same as mediation. Clark County has a separate rule, EDCR 5.306, under which parties to a contested custody case generally must attend mediation through the Family Mediation Center or a private mediator before the custody matter is decided. Completing the seminar does not satisfy mediation, and mediation does not satisfy the seminar.
Outside Clark County? Nevada has no statewide parenting class — each judicial district sets its own rule (Carson City and Storey County, for example, name a specific live class). See court-ordered parenting classes in Nevada for the district-by-district picture, or our COPE class guide for more on the seminar itself.
Source & accuracy: compiled from the Eighth Judicial District Court Rules (EDCR 5.305 and 5.306) as published by the Nevada Legislature, the Eighth Judicial District Court Family Division's Seminar for Separating Parents flyer (revised September 11, 2020), and the Family Law Self-Help Center (operated by the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada under contract with Clark County). Court rules, provider lists, fees, and deadlines change — always confirm the current requirement with the court that ordered you before you enroll or pay. Next Step Counseling is an independent nationwide directory: we run no classes, enroll no one, and are not affiliated with the Eighth Judicial District Court or any provider listed above. This is general information, not legal advice. Sources: leg.state.nv.us — EDCR 5.305 and 5.306, Seminar for Separating Parents flyer (PDF), familylawselfhelpcenter.org — Seminar for Separating Parents, familylawselfhelpcenter.org — Getting the final decree.