What Is Parenting Coordination?

Parenting coordination is a future trend and a viable option to custody battles. When parents are not able come to an agreement regarding their children a parent coordinator will mediate the issue. If parents are still not able to come to an agreement a parent coordinator gathers information to make a decision in the child’s best interest. The couple agrees to abide by that decision per a court order or parent consent agreement. Some decisions may go one parent’s way and other decisions may go the other’s. This dispute resolution process focuses on the children’s needs and is an alternative to repeated returns to court and/or ongoing conflict that may otherwise continue indefinitely.

Parent coordination can be used to develop adherence to a parenting plan and as a quicker analysis and resolution of child-related parental disputes. The aim of parenting coordination is to stem the drain on family financial and emotional resources by resolving any disputes arising between parents. Note that a parenting coordinator does not resolve the matter of custody, but may be used as an interim basis to the address the implementation of a temporary parenting plan.

The author is Dan Blair, LMFT, LCPC, NCPC is a Nationally Certified Parenting Coordinator and is trained to draft arbitration decisions with precision.

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