What is a Parenting Coordinator?
The use of Parenting Coordinators is a relatively new intervention to manage high-conflict custody cases. Parents retain a clinician or an attorney to arbitrate ongoing child-related disputes either by private agreement or by Court order. That person then becomes the Parenting Coordinator.
What does the Parenting Coordinator do?
The Parenting Coordinator works directly with the parents to help them communicate more effectively and avoid conflict around child-related issues. Parents who are constantly in court about child-related issues (such as a holiday visitation schedule or the sharing of information about a child's academic or medical developments) might benefit from opinions and guidance to help make communication more effective. In addition, the Parenting Coordinator mediates issues and when the parents are unable to agree, the parenting coordinator is often given the power to arbitrate (decide) what the result should be. Ultimately, the court has the final say over child custody and visitation issues, but a Parenting Coordinator can drastically reduce the need to go to court and therefore reduce conflict for the children in that family.
Who pays for the Parenting Coordinator?
As there is no legislation in Massachusetts that provides funding for Parenting Coordinators, the fees are paid by the parents in a proportion that is either agreed to by the parties or ordered by the Court. Under certain circumstances, the Court may enter orders that motivate parties to resolve issues outside of the court process by imposing financial sanctions on a party who challenges the recommendation of the Parenting Coordinator and loses in Court.
What are the benefits of using a Parenting Coordinator?
Any method of dispute resolution that resolves child-related issues outside of Court is a good thing for families. A Parenting Coordinator can provide prompt, consistent, and responsive assistance to parents who cannot resolve issues regarding their children by themselves.
