What This Statute Says
This section is what makes the parent education program mandatory in most Arizona family cases involving minor children. The court must order both parties to attend whenever a divorce, separation, annulment, or covered paternity case fits the trigger.
A. In an action for dissolution of marriage, legal separation or annulment that involves a natural or an adopted minor, unemancipated child who is common to the parties or in any paternity proceeding under chapter 6, article 1 of this title in which a party has requested that the court determine custody, specific parenting time or child support, the court shall order the parties to complete an educational program as prescribed by this article, unless any of the following applies:
A.R.S. § 25-352When This Statute Comes Into Play
The order is required when:
- A dissolution, legal separation, or annulment involves a natural or adopted minor child common to the parties.
- A paternity case includes a request to determine custody, specific parenting time, or child support.
- Neither statutory exception applies and the court has not made a best-interests finding to excuse the party.
What This Means for Arizona Families
Most Arizona parents going through divorce will attend this program, often surprised to find it more useful than they expected. The trigger is broad: it captures dissolution, separation, annulment, and most paternity actions where parenting time or support is in dispute. Skipping the program is rarely a good idea because Section 25-353 lets the court deny relief in the noncompliant party's favor.
Arizona families going through divorce often underestimate how much the parenting and financial pieces affect downstream estate planning. The education program is required for most parents with minor children, and what they learn there shapes the agreements that follow. Our FAQ on how divorce affects your Arizona estate plan covers the estate-plan updates that follow a finalized dissolution involving children. The community property framework still controls how marital assets are split, and any earlier premarital agreement may also be in play. An Arizona family law attorney working with an estate planning attorney can coordinate the parenting plan, support orders, and updated beneficiary designations so a divorce involving children produces a stable long-term plan.