What This Statute Says
This is the foundation section for Arizona's parent education requirement in divorce. Each county sets up a program, the supreme court sets the minimum content, and the curriculum focuses on what divorce actually does to adults and children rather than on legal procedure alone.
A. The superior court in each county shall adopt and implement an educational program for the purpose of educating persons about the impact of divorce on adults and children.
A.R.S. § 25-351When This Statute Comes Into Play
The plan controls when:
- A divorcing or legally separating couple has any minor child common to them.
- A paternity case includes a request for custody, parenting time, or child support.
- The presiding judge needs to update or approve the county's program plan.
The required content covers emotional and financial effects, alternatives to divorce, marriage resources, the legal process and mediation, and resources available after the divorce is final.
What This Means for Arizona Families
The education program is one of the most practical interventions Arizona has built into its family courts. Parents often arrive at the program focused on their own conflict and leave with a clearer view of how the next few years will land on their children. That perspective often changes how they negotiate parenting time and how they speak to each other afterward.
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.