SLR 21-8.011: PARENT EDUCATION

(1) Mandatory Parent Education Program (a) The court has established a parent education program authorized by ORS 3.425. (b) Parties to contested dissolution of marriage, separation, or other proceeding involving minor children shall attend the court mandated Co-Parenting Education Seminar or an equivalent parent education approved by the court. For the purposes of this rule, the court considers any case where a stipulated judgment is not filed contemporaneously with the petition to be a contested case. (c) A copy of this local rule shall be served by the initiating party on all parties against whom relief is sought. Service shall be completed in the manner provided in ORCP 7 at the time the initiating documents are served. (d) The parent education program provider shall issue a certificate of completion to the participants when they have completed the program. This certificate must be presented to the court. (e) After a response is filed in a case that involves children, unless otherwise exempted or automatically waived by the court, a date and time for each party to appear for the parenting class shall be scheduled and the notice shall be sent to each party by the court. (f) The court may allow one or more of the parties to participate in a comparable education program. Twenty-First Judicial District, Benton County Circuit Court Page 9 of 22 (2) The court, at its discretion, may require that parties complete the High Conflict Solutions Parenting class in addition to the Mandatory Parenting Education Program. (3) Sanctions (a) The court shall actively promote each party’s completion of a parent education program. Failure or refusal to complete a program in a timely manner may be considered by the court in making its ruling on issues which are in dispute. (b) A party who has completed a parent education program may request that the court strike the pleadings of a party who has not completed the program in a timely manner without good cause. (4) Fees (a) Each party shall pay a fee to the parent education program provider upon registering for the program. (b) The program registration fee may be waived or deferred by the court. The procedure for requesting a fee waiver or deferral shall be the same as used to request a waiver or deferral of the fee when filing a petition for dissolution. (c) An application for fee waiver or deferral must be made prior to registering for the program. When registering, either the fee must be paid or the order waiving or deferring the fee must be provided to the program provider by the registering party.