Parenting After Separation course

Parenting After Separation (in Punjabi and English) and Parenting After Separation for Indigenous Families are free online courses that:

• explain how separation can affect both parents and children,
• will give you some ideas about how to:
  • talk to your spouse and your children,
  • co-parent, and
  • solve parenting problems, and
• will give you information about:
  • family law,
  • reaching agreements, and
  • going to court.

Each course takes about 3 or 4 hours. You can either watch videos of them or read the information on the website.

Who has to take a Parenting After Separation course?

In all provincial court locations, you are required to complete Parenting After Separation for Indigenous Families or Parenting After Separation (in Punjabi and English) before you can move forward with an application about a family law matter.

You might not have to do a Parenting After Separation course. You're exempt from attending (you don't have to attend) if:

• You’ve completed Parenting After Separation for Indigenous Families or Parenting After Separation (in Punjabi and English) within the past two (2) years
• The family law matter is property division respecting a companion animal
• The family law matter is about spousal support and the matter is not about children
• Every child involved in the family law matter has reached 19 years of age
• You can’t access an online version
• The course isn’t offered in the language you’re fluent in (most comfortable with)
• You can’t complete it because of literacy challenges
• You have a serious medical condition
• You and the other parties are filing a consent order.

You might also be allowed to miss the Parenting After Separation course if there's an emergency in your family.

If you think you might be exempt, ask the court registry for a Notice of Exemption from Parenting Education Program form (Form 20).

1. Complete the Notice of Exemption from Parenting Education Program form (Form 20).

2. Contact the Family Justice Centre or Justice Access Centre nearest you to request approval of the exemption.

3. Provide the completed exemption form to the court registry to confirm you have met the requirement.

What if you feel you or your children are in danger?

If:

• you need to do a Parenting After Separation course, but
• you feel your and your children's safety is at risk, and
• you want a protection order,

you can delay doing the course until you've asked for the protection order.

If:

• you need to do a Parenting After Separation course, and
• you're asking the court for a order about an priority parenting matter,

you can delay doing the course until that matter is heard by the court.