Parenting Plan Coordinators

A Parenting Plan Coordinator is a specialist chosen by the court with the consent of the parties to address ongoing disagreements between parents over the formulation, execution, and modification of a parenting plan. When the parents are unable to make choices about parenting plan-related matters, they provide the Parenting Plan Coordinator with the authority to do so. Major choices are left to the Court, but the coordinator may give suggestions regarding those choices.

Who would benefit from a parent coordinator?

After a custody evaluation and a court order, a Parenting Plan Coordinator is frequently appointed for families who have disagreements about their parenting plan. When a temporary order is in place pending a review and the family is going through a lot of changes, stress, or challenges, it may be beneficial to appoint a parent coordinator. When a parent and child are trying to mend a broken or damaged connection, a parent coordinator may also be able to assist. The appointment of a Parenting Plan Coordinator may also be appropriate in cases where one parent has a condition that affects their ability to provide care, such as substance misuse or mental illness.

A Parenting Plan Coordinator settles arguments over things like schedule adjustments, extracurricular activities, holidays, vacations, special events, adapting a parenting plan to meet the rapidly changing needs of a baby or toddler, controlling a child's behavior, choosing a school, health care choices, issues during the exchange of children between parents, and problematic behaviors by one or both parents.

What Is the Decision-Making Process Like?

When disagreements between partners emerge, the Parenting Plan Coordinator adopts a mediation-arbitration strategy to resolve them amicably. Many decisions are made based on communication with the parties by phone and email after an initial meetings to get to know the family.

What are the Advantages of Using a PPC?

• A Parenting Plan Coordinator can make parallel parenting easier and lessen the need for tense parent-child interactions.
• When necessary, a Parenting Plan Coordinator can make frequent small decisions that ordinarily call for an ex parte or Order to Show Cause.
• Litigation is far more expensive than the informal decision-making done by the Parenting Plan Coordinator.
• Working closely with the family, the Parenting Plan Coordinator gets to know them very well. As the Parenting Plan Coordinator learns more about the family's needs, decisions are likely to be more suited to meet those needs.
• A parenting plan coordinator can assist parents in improving their communication with one another and in determining what forms of communication are required and which are not.
• Choosing a Parenting Plan Coordinator with knowledge of a matter of particular relevance to the family, such as needs of infants, substance abuse, learning disabilities, special medical needs, etc. 
• A Parenting Plan Coordinator can assist in keeping kids out of the argument so they can watch their parents handle and settle disagreements successfully as they grow older.

A Parenting Plan Coordinator can help children and their families by resolving concerns swiftly. The entire family experiences anxiety when there is uncertainty and disagreement. Resolving recurring parenting issues can be done in a way that is both emotionally and financially cost-effective by working with a qualified Parenting Plan Coordinator. Parents can specify in advance the types of issues a Parenting Plan Coordinator can handle, from a specific worry to disagreements between the parents regarding how to interpret the court's ruling regarding child custody. 

If you have any questions or would like to utilize our Parenting Plan Coordinator services, contact our family law attorneys today!