Family Court 101 is a foundational introductory course designed to help students understand how family court systems generally operate, including court procedure, custody matters, child support enforcement, hearings, records, and common legal terminology. The course focuses on procedural understanding, documentation, and educational awareness to help students approach family court matters calmly and methodically.
Course Information
Course Instructor
Module 1 — Entering the System
Lesson 1 — What Family Court Actually Is
Lesson 2 — Why Family Court Feels Different
Lesson 3 — Civil vs. Criminal Court
Lesson 4 — Understanding the “Best Interests” Standard
Lesson 5 — Why Procedure Matters
Module 2 — Understanding the Players
Lesson 6 — The Judge and Courtroom Authority
Lesson 7 — Clerks, Case Managers, and Court Staff
Lesson 8 — Attorneys, GALs, Evaluators, and Agencies
Lesson 9 — The Other Party, Counsel, and Third Parties
Lesson 10 — How to Communicate with the System
Module 3 — Understanding Court Authority
Lesson 11 — Jurisdiction: Subject Matter and Personal
Lesson 12 — Service, Notice, and Opportunity to Be Heard
Lesson 13 — Temporary Orders and Final Orders
Lesson 14 — Appearance, Consent, and Preserving Objections
Lesson 15 — When Authority Is Challenged
Module 4 — Understanding the Process
Lesson 16 — Petitions, Motions, Responses, and Hearings
Lesson 17 — Timelines, Deadlines, and Continuances
Lesson 18 — Evidence, Testimony, and Exhibits
Lesson 19 — Orders, Findings, and What the Judge Actually Ruled
Module 5 — Reading the Record
Lesson 20 — What the Docket Is Telling You
Lesson 21 — The Summons, Return of Service, and Proof of Notice
Lesson 22 — Orders, Judgments, and Minute Entries
Lesson 23 — Building Your Record Binder
Module 6 — Emotional Survival
Lesson 24 — How Panic Works Against You
Lesson 25 — Communicating Under Pressure
Lesson 26 — Separating the Legal Fight from the Emotional Fight
Lesson 27 — Building a Support System Without Losing Focus
Module 7 — Understanding Enforcement
Lesson 28 — Child Support Enforcement in Plain English
Lesson 29 — Income Withholding, Liens, Intercepts, and License Suspension
Lesson 30 — Contempt, Compliance, and Purge Conditions
Lesson 31 — Enforcement Without Losing the Record
Module 8 — Building Your Foundation
Lesson 32 — Your Case Timeline
Lesson 33 — Your Document Inventory
Lesson 34 — Your Question List
Lesson 35 — Your Next 30 Days
Final Module — The Fathers Unchained Approach
Lesson 36 — Read the Record First
Lesson 37 — Jurisdiction Before Strategy
Lesson 38 — From Reaction to Procedure
Lesson 39 — Stay Informed, Stay Free, and Stay Unchained