NY A06570

Establishes a mandatory "Parent Education and Awareness Program" requiring parents in contested divorce, separation, custody, or visitation cases involving children under 18 to attend a certified education program

Program topics include understanding parent-child interactions during divorce, recognizing how children react to separation, communication strategies, helping children adjust to new family structures, and identifying when cooperation may be inappropriate in domestic violence cases

Courts must order both parents to attend separate class sessions early in proceedings, unless significant evidence shows attendance would not benefit the parents or children

Parents with history or allegations of domestic violence are exempt from mandatory attendance but may attend remotely; courts must also consider medical/financial hardship and language barriers when granting waivers

Non-compliant parents face adverse inference in court determinations, potential cost sanctions, and attorney fee awards; all communications made during the program are confidential and inadmissible as evidence