Course Curriculum
A comprehensive 15-session professional training program for the judiciary, attorneys, mediators, other legal professionals, family systems therapists and court involved therapists navigating divorce and family court matters.
Introduction
Setting the foundation for the child-centered approach to divorce, covering core principles and program objectives.
Core 3: Personality Disorders What You May Not See
Understanding the behavioral patterns that can drive high-conflict family law cases, including rigidity, emotional escalation, manipulation, control, and polarized thinking, and how these dynamics can impact communication, decision-making, and case management.
Core 6: Keeping Children Out of The Middle
Protecting children from adult conflict by identifying and interrupting behaviors that place them in the roles of messenger, evidence, decision-maker, monitor, or participant in parental disputes.
Core 8: Safety First: DV, Coercive Control & Abuse Allegations
Prioritizing safety in family law by recognizing domestic violence, coercive control, and abuse concerns while promoting appropriate screening, risk assessment, and protective responses for children and families.
Core 11: The Therapist's Role in High-Conflict Family Systems & Interdisciplinary
Teamwork
The Therapist's Role in High-Conflict Family Systems & Interdisciplinary
Teamwork
Core 1: Family Transition
Refaming divorce as a family transition, not just a legal event, and explores how legal professionals can reduce conflict, protect children, and promote long-term family stability through intentional language, advocacy, and professional influence.
Core 4: What Divorce Feels Like to a Youth
Understanding divorce through a child’s experience while protecting them from adult conflict, loyalty pressures, and emotional burdens.
Lunch and Learn Integration Core 1-6
You brought a case. We are going to work on it.
Core 9: Child-Centered Legal Counseling & Ethical Advocacy — What to Do When
Promoting child-centered legal counseling and ethical advocacy by helping legal professionals manage client expectations, reduce unnecessary conflict, maintain professional boundaries, and advocate effectively without causing further harm to children and families.
Core 12: Resolution & Long-Term Stability
Creating durable, child-centered resolutions that match family structure to parental capacity, reduce future conflict, and promote long-term stability without ongoing court involvement.
Core 2: Window of Tolerance - Trauma
Understanding how trauma affects behavior, emotional regulation, and thinking during divorce, with practical strategies for recognizing fear responses, reducing escalation, improving communication, and supporting more productive legal interactions.
Core 5: Child Development-Parenting Plan
Creating child-centered parenting plans that consider developmental needs, relationships, routines, transitions, and changing circumstances.
Core 7: The Psychology of Divorce & Conflict Escalation
Building skills for effective co-parenting, including conflict resolution and maintaining a stable home environment.
Core 10: Judicial Management: Triage, Writing Orders & Proportionate Accountability
Strengthening judicial management of family law cases through early triage, clear and enforceable orders, appropriate case structure, and proportionate accountability that reduces conflict and protects families.
Lunch and Learn Integration Core 7-12
Advanced strategies for managing complex family dynamics and ensuring a child-centered outcome in all cases.
Judiciary CLE Credits
Attorneys and legal professionals seeking to maintain active judicial status and meet continuing legal education requirements are provided with a comprehensive curriculum.
Our training offers 15 hours of CLE credits, ensuring compliance with state-specific mandates while delivering a child-centered perspective essential for modern family law practice.
Court Involved Mental Health Professional CEUs
For mental health professionals, our program provides 15 hours of CEU credits.
This certification is designed to equip therapists and other mental health professionals with specialized knowledge and practical skills for working with high-conflict and court-involved family systems while maintaining clear clinical boundaries, protecting children from conflict, and supporting healthier long-term family functioning.
Common Questions
What is the training schedule?
The full program includes 15 sessions total: 12 core classes, 2 Lunch & Learn sessions, and 1 introductory class.
Classes are held weekly, with each session offered twice during the week to give participants greater flexibility in choosing the class time that best fits their schedule.
Each session is eligible for 1 CLE credit, for a total of 15 CLE credits upon completion of the full program.
How is pricing structured?
The full 15-session training series is available as one bundled program for $1,350, paid upfront at registration.
That gives you access to the entire series for just $90 per class, including all 15 sessions and up to 15 CLE credits. With each class valued at $100, the full program represents a $1,500 value, so participants save $150 by enrolling in the complete series. To keep registration simple and make the full training experience as accessible as possible, individual classes are not currently offered separately.
Who are the presenters?
The program is led by Marla Snow, JD (Attorney with 25+ years of experience, Former Family-Law Commissioner), and Christy Kane, PsyD. Their combined expertise provides a comprehensive, child-centered perspective on divorce proceedings.
Is certification required?
Certification is not required for attendance. However, participants are encouraged to complete the full curriculum to gain a comprehensive understanding of the child-centered approach to divorce and to strengthen their professional practice.
Who is eligible to register?
The training is designed for the Judiciary, Attorneys, Legal Professionals and Court Involved Therapists. This includes judges, attorneys, paralegals, legal support staff, other legal professionals and therapists who are committed to a child-centered approach to family law.
What if I cannot attend all 15 sessions?
We know professional schedules can change, so each session is offered twice during the week to give participants more flexibility. If you cannot attend your usual session, you are encouraged to attend the alternate offering that week.
Because each class builds toward the full 15-session experience, we strongly encourage participants to attend every session and complete the series in full.
If you do miss a session and are unable to attend the alternate offering, you may have the opportunity to make up that class during a future 15-session training round. Until the missed session is completed, you will receive CLE or CEU credit only for the sessions you attended. For example, if you complete 14 sessions, you will receive 14 credits, with a separate certificate issued once the remaining session is made up.
Registration fees are nonrefundable for participant cancellations or missed sessions. If a session is canceled by the program organizers and cannot be rescheduled or otherwise made available, we will work with participants on an appropriate resolution.