What Does a Parenting Coordinator Do in a Custody Dispute?

 Posted on November 27, 2024 in English

As one of the most emotional aspects of divorce, child custody is prone to causing parental disputes. Parents can disagree on custody schedules, medical decisions for the child, the child’s religious upbringing, and more. Decisions about these important issues are, therefore, usually set out in a parenting plan, an enforceable document that outlines how both parties plan to co-parent their child.

Parents who want to get divorced are required to submit a parenting plan to the court but sometimes do not agree to its provisions, particularly in high-conflict divorces. In some cases, even parents who agree on a parenting plan at first might have second thoughts after the divorce. In either situation, the parents might benefit from a parenting coordinator, a neutral third party who is trained in conflict resolution and family mediation. Parenting coordination is often part of the court process during custody disputes, so find out more information by consulting a Maryland family law attorney.

What Does a Parenting Coordinator Do?

The purpose of parenting coordination is to help parents make decisions together that serve the child’s best interests. Divorce is difficult for children, but ongoing conflict between parents can aggravate the negative outcomes of a divorce. A parenting coordinator tries to reduce or resolve such conflict by helping parents learn how to communicate effectively and develop strategies for joint decision-making.

How Can a Parenting Coordinator Help Resolve Child Custody Disputes?

Parents may voluntarily agree to attend parent coordination, or a court may order the parents to do so. In either case, the parenting coordinator may help resolve child custody disputes in the following ways:

• Keeping the focus on the child: Divorcing parents can get carried away by the negative emotions that tend to present themselves during the process. They might therefore make decisions based on their feelings rather than what is best for the child. A parenting coordinator can help re-center the discussions on the child and keep the focus of both parents where it needs to be.

• Reducing conflict: Rather than just solve the specific disputes at hand, parenting coordinators seek to provide parents with the tools to manage conflict between themselves. Children ultimately benefit when their parents are able to resolve their own disagreements.

• Providing neutrality: Parenting coordinators are neutral third parties, which means they do not have a personal bias in a child custody dispute. Unlike a friend or relative, a parenting coordinator can offer a fresh, objective approach and perspective. This makes it more likely for any solution to be fair to all parties.

Contact a Falls Church, VA Child Custody Attorney

Parenting coordination is a tool courts use to help couples resolve disputes about child custody. Ask your Lincolnia, VA divorce lawyer about where to find the right parenting coordinator and how to prepare for parenting coordination. At Salvado Law Offices, we will help you with your parenting coordination needs as well as anything else related to child custody and the divorce process. Call 301-933-1814 to speak with one of our excellent attorneys today.