Parents are referred to Family Court Services (FCS) by a Circuit Court Commissioner or a Judge. Once the referral is made to the FCS office, the parents will receive a letter scheduling them to attend a mandatory Parenting Education Program (PE). The program is held regularly and costs $40. In the initial mailing, the parents will also receive a form requesting additional background information.
Every individual referred to FCS will attend Parent Education. Mediation will then be offered. If an agreement cannot be reached through that process, more detailed assessments can be requested and ordered to determine physical placement and legal custody decisions, which will ultimately be made by the judge.
