Classes Only Mandatory in No-Fault Divorce
A law that took effect in November, 2014 might change the way some people file for divorce. The law standardizes and extends requirements for divorcing parents to attend parenting classes. The law only requires those who file no-fault divorce to attend the now-mandatory parenting classes.
Oklahoma’s no-fault divorce law, like those in other states, had removed incentives for divorcing spouses to allege adultery, drunkenness, marital misconduct or even abuse. Incompatibility alone is sufficient grounds for divorce, and need not be proven in no-fault divorce. But when minor children are involved, those who claim incompatibility must now attend parenting classes.
A legislator who introduced the bill represented it in press accounts as requiring education about substance abuse and domestic violence, but the law also requires classes to address the possibility of reconciliation as an outcome in divorce proceedings.
Citing grounds for divorce in an at-fault divorce proceeding is not the only way to avoid the classes, however. The law allows courts to let parents opt out of the classes if they have a good reason not to take the classes. The law also provides an exception in cases that involve domestic violence.
Strategy Session: Tulsa Divorce Attorney
For more information about parenting classes in Oklahoma divorce, contact a Tulsa divorce attorney at Wirth Law Office. To schedule your initial strategy session, call today: (918) 879-1681, or send your question using the e-mail form at the top of this page.
