Co-Parenting Classes in Sacramento County, California
Working through a divorce, custody case, or parenting plan dispute in Sacramento County? This guide covers the court's Child Custody Recommending Counseling, the orientation you must complete before it, where family law is heard, and where a co-parenting class fits.
The Court's Counseling vs. a Co-Parenting Class
Sacramento parents run into two things that sound alike. One is the court's own custody process, which is required when you disagree. The other is parent education. Know which your case needs.
Child Custody Recommending Counseling
Sacramento County Superior Court states that Family Code section 3170 requires Child Custody Recommending Counseling (CCRC) whenever custody or visitation is in dispute. A Family Court Services counselor works with both parents toward an agreement. Sacramento is a recommending county: if you agree only in part, or not at all, the counselor makes recommendations to the court on the issues still in dispute.
- Required when parents do not agree on custody or visitation
- Scheduled when you file a Request for Order to set a hearing
- Both parents must complete the Family Court Services Orientation Program within the last 12 months
- You submit a Parenting Plan Questionnaire before the appointment
- The counselor's report or recommendations go to the judge before your hearing
4-Hour Co-Parenting Class
The parent education described by California Family Code sections 3200–3204: ordered by judges in some cases, written into stipulated parenting plans, or taken proactively. Because Sacramento counselors send recommendations to the judge, walking in already able to describe a workable parenting plan matters here.
- 4 hours, fully online and self-paced
- Free to start, pay $39.99 only after you pass
- Certificate downloads instantly
Honest note: our class does not replace the court's Family Court Services Orientation Program or Child Custody Recommending Counseling. Those are the court's own processes and they are free. If your paperwork is ambiguous about what you have been asked to complete, ask your judicial officer or the Self-Help Center, or send us the wording in our 24/7 chat and we will tell you plainly whether our course fits.
Where Sacramento County Hears Family Law
Sacramento County Superior Court hears family law at one courthouse, which also houses Family Court Services, the Self-Help Center, and the Family Law Facilitator's Office:
| Courthouse | Address |
|---|---|
| William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse | 3341 Power Inn Road, Sacramento, CA |
Family Court Services accepts filings in Room 104 on the first floor, and a Children’s Waiting Room is available in Room 111 on weekdays. Confirm your department and hearing details on your case paperwork or at saccourt.ca.gov.
Filing Your Certificate in Sacramento County
- Finish the class and download your certificate. It includes your name, completion date, course duration, and a unique verification ID.
- Check your order for instructions. Some orders name a deadline or tell you exactly where proof goes; that language controls.
- File or bring it. Absent specific instructions, parents typically file the certificate with the clerk at their assigned courthouse under their case number, and bring copies to the next hearing: one for the court, one for the other side.
- Free local help: Sacramento County Superior Court's Self-Help Center and Family Law Facilitator's Office, both at the Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse, help people without a lawyer with forms and procedure at no charge. Court staff can review our curriculum on our page for courts.
Sacramento County Questions
Does Sacramento County require a co-parenting class?
Not automatically. What Sacramento does require, when parents do not agree on custody or visitation, is the court's own Family Court Services Orientation Program followed by Child Custody Recommending Counseling. A co-parenting class is separate: some judges order one, some parenting plans stipulate one, and many parents take one to prepare. Check your court order, or ask the Self-Help Center.
What does 'recommending' mean in Sacramento County?
If you and the other parent reach a full agreement, the counselor prepares a report of that agreement for you and the court. If you agree only in part, or not at all, the counselor makes recommendations to the court on the issues still in dispute, and the judge considers them at your hearing. That is why arriving able to describe a workable parenting plan carries real weight here.
Is the FCS Orientation Program the same as your class?
No. The Family Court Services Orientation Program is the court's own requirement, which each parent must complete within the 12 months before a counseling appointment. Our course is separate parent education under Family Code sections 3200 to 3204. Completing ours does not satisfy the orientation, and the orientation does not satisfy a court order to complete a co-parenting class.
How do I give the court my certificate?
You download your certificate as soon as you pass and file it according to your own court order or local instructions. We do not file it for you. If your order does not say how to submit it, the Self-Help Center or the Family Law Facilitator's Office can tell you.
Ready to Start?
Our California court-approved co-parenting class is built around the Family Code's parent-education topics, reviewed by a licensed clinician, and free to start. You pay $39.99 only after you pass.
Start For FreeTakes just 60 seconds • No credit card required
Also helpful: our free custody schedule calculator and California court acceptance guide.
More California county guides
How the court's own process differs county by county: