Parenting Coordinator Services:
   There is preliminary evidence that a Parenting Coordinator can significantly impact divorce litigation: A 1994 unpublished study by psychologist Terry Johnston, PhD, found that parenting coordination reduced the average number of annual court visits from six per case to 0.22 in one year.

  The appointment of a parenting coordinator is a relatively new alternative dispute intervention that is used to assist parties in high-conflict custody and visitation cases.

Benefits of Using a Parenting Coordinator:

• Help avoid the frustration and expense of repeated trips to Court;
• Address your problems in days rather than weeks or months;
• Act as buffer between the parties;
• Improve communication styles to break negative patterns;
• Serve as an objective third party with whom both parties can speak freely;
• Teach parents to put their children first;
• Work with a family to set up a temporary schedule while the parents await a custody hearing;
• The Parenting Coordinator is a neutral party and does not represent either parent;
• Get the parents out of their combative mindset sooner.

Parenting Coordinator Options:

Our office offers two forms of Parenting Coordinator services:

   1. The Parenting Coordinator acts strictly as a mediator to assist the parties in establishing their own agreement.  When a conflict occurs you would contact your Parenting Coordinator for assistance rather than your attorney or dealing directly with the other parent. This is especially valuable in cases where the parents have ongoing conflicts regarding time sharing and problems which arise and need to be addressed quickly to avoid further conflict.

   2. The Parenting Coordinator acts as a mediator/arbitrator.  The Parenting Coordinator will make every effort to facilitate an agreement between the parties.  However, in the event the parties are unable to reach an agreement, the Parenting Coordinator has the authority (either vested by the parties or the Court) to make a decision which must be followed by the parents, as if ordered by a Court. 
Ultimately, the Court has the final say over your child custody and time sharing issues, but a Parenting Coordinator can drastically reduce the need to go to Court and reduce conflict for your children.

Getting Started in the Process

Parties:
   The parties may elect to utilize a Parenting Coordinator by agreement.  They agree as to the division of the costs, sign and agreement as to the Parenting Coordinator’s authority. 

Court Appointment:
   In the alternative, the Court may appoint a Parenting Coordinator for the parents and set forth in the order the percentage of the fees to be paid by each party.  The Court’s order sets forth the scope of authority granted to the Parenting Coordinator. If you are represented by counsel, you may want to discuss the procedure required to facilitate the appointment.

Getting to Know You:
   One of the major advantages of a Parenting Coordinator is the ability to deal with a neutral third party that has the time and resources to get to know you and your family.  Time constraints imposed upon the Court do not allow them to meet individually with the parents, the children, the parents jointly, interview school or child care officials, review reports and medical records, and review your case file.  The Parenting Coordinator will gather a great deal of information from the parties, the children, and other sources.  You will be comfortable that you had every opportunity to provide your input into the decision.

If you think you and your children could benefit from these services, please contact the office for a free consultation and additional information.