Questions to ask your court before you pay for an anger management class

If a court, judge or probation officer has told you to take an anger management class, the question you need answered first is not which class is best. It is what your own order actually requires — because that is the only document that governs you.

This site collects what courts and state agencies have published on the subject, quotes it exactly, and says who each statement was written about. It does not tell you what your court will accept, because no website can.

Start with what your order says

One California court puts it plainly to the people it refers:

If you are not sure which classes to take, please review your Order for Referral to Services for specific information.

Courts publish lists, and say what those lists are not

Several courts publish lists of local providers. That is helpful, and it is routinely misread as approval. Here is one court describing its own list:

The Riverside Superior Court does not recommend or endorse any of the listed providers nor do they recommend that any of the listed providers will meet the needs of parents or children. You are responsible for interviewing and selecting a suitable provider. You should contact providers directly for relevant information.

A provider appearing on a list is not the same as a class being accepted. The court above says so itself.

What this site covers

• Does an online class count? — what two courts have published about format, and why the answer depends on your order.
• How long these classes run — the figures published by name, and who each one was about.
• What to ask your court — the questions worth asking before you enroll.

Nothing here is legal advice.