If you are divorcing or legally separating in Utah and have children under 18, you must complete two court-ordered classes before a judge will finalize your case: a one-hour Divorce Orientation Course and a Mandatory Parenting Course. Both parents have to finish them, and the requirement applies whether you filed the petition or were served with one. The Utah divorce class requirement can be met online through Utah State University Extension or in person at scheduled locations around the state.
Who Has to Take the Classes
Every parent with minor children who files for divorce or temporary separation in Utah must complete both courses, and the rule applies equally to the petitioner and the respondent.1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-4-105 – Mandatory Orientation Course for Divorce or Temporary Separation Actions
The parenting course also reaches unmarried parents. If you are in a parentage action where custody and parent-time are being decided, you are required to take it even if you were never married to the other parent.2Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-9-103 – Mandatory Parenting Course for Parties in a Divorce or Parentage Action
Divorcing couples without minor children are not required to attend either course, though they can voluntarily take the orientation if they want the information.1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-4-105 – Mandatory Orientation Course for Divorce or Temporary Separation Actions
What Each Course Covers
Divorce Orientation Course
The orientation runs at least one hour and walks you through the divorce process itself. It covers alternatives to divorce, resources for strengthening the marriage, how mediation and collaborative law compare to litigation, and what to expect financially and procedurally if you move forward.1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-4-105 – Mandatory Orientation Course for Divorce or Temporary Separation Actions
Mandatory Parenting Course
The parenting course focuses on your children. It covers how divorce affects kids emotionally and developmentally, each parent’s financial responsibilities, and the harmful effects of domestic violence on children and family relationships. Instructors share strategies for communicating about the separation and keeping routines stable.2Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-9-103 – Mandatory Parenting Course for Parties in a Divorce or Parentage Action
The two courses can be offered together, but they cover different ground. The orientation is about your options as a divorcing adult. The parenting course is about your children’s needs.
How to Take the Courses
Both courses are available through live in-person instruction, video instruction, or an approved online provider. Utah State University Extension is the only court-approved online provider, and the courses are available at divorce.usu.edu.3Utah State Judiciary. Mandatory Education in Divorce and Temporary Separation
In-person classes run at scheduled times and locations around Utah. Where your case is filed does not matter; you can attend wherever is convenient. For questions about in-person scheduling, Utah Courts direct participants to call 801-447-5528.3Utah State Judiciary. Mandatory Education in Divorce and Temporary Separation
Languages and Accessibility
Online courses are available in English with closed captioning and in Spanish. For in-person classes, you can request a free interpreter in Spanish or other languages, but you must arrange it before the class date. Incarcerated parents and others with serious circumstances that prevent attendance can request a DVD containing both English and Spanish versions.3Utah State Judiciary. Mandatory Education in Divorce and Temporary Separation
What the Classes Cost
The Divorce Orientation Course costs up to $30 per person. The Mandatory Parenting Course costs $35 per person. Those prices cover the standard online or in-person formats.3Utah State Judiciary. Mandatory Education in Divorce and Temporary Separation
There is one discount worth knowing about. If you take the orientation course in person within 30 days of filing (for the petitioner) or within 30 days of being served (for the respondent), the fee drops to $15. This discount applies only to live in-person instruction, not the online version.1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-4-105 – Mandatory Orientation Course for Divorce or Temporary Separation Actions
If You Cannot Afford the Fees
You can ask the court to waive the fees by filing an affidavit of indigency with the district court. Once that is on file, you can attend without paying.1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-4-105 – Mandatory Orientation Course for Divorce or Temporary Separation Actions To attend with a fee waiver, bring either a copy of the court’s order waiving the fee or a copy of your filed motion to waive fees.4Utah Courts. Utah Code of Judicial Administration Rule 4-907 – Parenting and Divorce Orientation Courses
What Happens If You Skip the Classes
Not finishing these classes does more than delay the final decree. The court cannot hold a hearing on any motion in a divorce or temporary separation case unless the party who filed the motion has already completed the required classes. And the judge will not sign a final divorce decree until both parents have either finished the courses or had them waived.3Utah State Judiciary. Mandatory Education in Divorce and Temporary Separation
So if you need the court to rule on temporary custody, child support, or property issues before the final decree, you cannot even get a hearing until your courses are done. Completing them early keeps your case moving.
Requesting a Course Waiver
The court has authority to waive the course requirement in appropriate circumstances, and a final order can be entered if the classes have been waived rather than completed. Utah Courts confirms this on its guidance page but does not spell out the exact grounds.3Utah State Judiciary. Mandatory Education in Divorce and Temporary Separation
In practice, documented safety concerns such as a history of domestic violence are the most common basis. Significant physical or mental health limitations that prevent meaningful participation may also qualify. You request a waiver by filing a motion with the court explaining the specific facts that make attendance unfeasible. Judges evaluate these on a case-by-case basis, so vague claims of inconvenience are unlikely to succeed.
Filing Your Completion Certificate
After you finish each course, the provider issues a certificate of completion. That certificate is your proof of compliance.1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-4-105 – Mandatory Orientation Course for Divorce or Temporary Separation Actions You will need one for both courses: the orientation and the parenting class.5Utah Courts. Checklist for Divorce (With Children)
File each certificate with the clerk of the court where your case is pending. Until both certificates from both parents appear in the case file, the judge will not finalize the divorce. Do not assume your provider files it for you; confirm with the court clerk that your certificates are on record.
How the Classes Fit the Divorce Timeline
Utah requires a minimum 30-day waiting period between the day you file your divorce petition and the day the judge can sign the final decree.6Utah State Judiciary. Motion to Waive Divorce Waiting Period The class requirements run alongside that waiting period, so if you take the courses early, neither obligation is holding up your case at the end. If you wait, you can end up finished with the 30-day clock but still blocked from entry of your decree because the certificates have not been filed.