Co-Parenting Classes in San Bernardino County, California
Working through a divorce, custody case, or parenting plan dispute in San Bernardino County? This guide covers the court's required online orientation, how its Child Custody Recommending Counseling works, which courthouses accept family law filings, and where a co-parenting class fits.
The Court's Counseling vs. a Co-Parenting Class
San Bernardino 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.
Orientation + Recommending Counseling
When custody or visitation is contested, the judge sends parents to Child Custody Recommending Counseling with Family Court Services. The court describes it as free, and it usually happens before your first court date. San Bernardino is a recommending county: if you do not agree, the counselor makes a recommendation to the court. Before the appointment, both parents must complete the court's online orientation.
- Ordered by the judge when custody or visitation is contested
- Both parents complete the online orientation first, about 40 minutes
- Orientation has English or Spanish subtitles; bring the printed certificate to your appointment
- Counseling can be by videoconference, by telephone, or in person
- If you do not agree, the counselor's written recommendation goes to the judge
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 San Bernardino counselors send a recommendation 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 online orientation or Child Custody Recommending Counseling. Those are the court's own processes. The orientation certificate goes to your counseling appointment, and our certificate is a separate document for a co-parenting class requirement. If your paperwork is ambiguous about what you have been asked to complete, ask your judicial officer or the court's Self-Help Services, or send us the wording in our 24/7 chat and we will tell you plainly whether our course fits.
San Bernardino County Courthouses That Accept Family Law Filings
San Bernardino County Superior Court accepts family law filings at these four locations. Confirm which one handles your case on your own paperwork:
| Courthouse | Address |
|---|---|
| San Bernardino – Historic Courthouse (Family Law Division) | 351 North Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino, CA |
| Barstow District | 235 East Mountain View Street, Barstow, CA |
| Joshua Tree District | 6527 White Feather Road, Joshua Tree, CA |
| Needles District | 1111 Bailey Avenue, Needles, CA |
Family Court Services also has an office at the Victorville courthouse (14455 Civic Drive), although Victorville does not list family law among the filings it accepts. Check where to file at sanbernardino.courts.ca.gov.
Filing Your Certificate in San Bernardino 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: San Bernardino County Superior Court offers free Self-Help Services, including Family Law Facilitator services, to people who do not have a lawyer, at resource centers across the county and online. Court staff can review our curriculum on our page for courts.
San Bernardino County Questions
Does San Bernardino County require a co-parenting class?
Not automatically. What San Bernardino does require, when custody or visitation is contested, is the court's own online orientation 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 court's Self-Help Services.
What does 'recommending' mean in San Bernardino County?
If you and the other parent do not reach an agreement, the child custody recommending counselor submits a written recommendation to the court, and the judge considers it at your hearing. That is why arriving able to describe a workable parenting plan carries real weight here.
Is the court's online orientation the same as your class?
No. The orientation is the court's own online video program, about 40 minutes, which both parents must finish before the counseling appointment; you bring its certificate to that 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 court's Self-Help Services 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: