Parenting Coordination is a dispute resolution service for high conflict parents. It is a process employed after there is already in place either a Court Order or a signed Parenting Plan / Separation Agreement.
The Parenting Coordinator ‘s role is to assist parents, for the sake of their children, in minimizing ongoing parental conflict. The Parenting Coordinator assists in lowering the level of conflict and ensuring better outcomes for children in two ways.
Firstly, the Parenting Coordinator has an educative function by helping parents develop more effective communication and problem solving skills with one another, and by educating parents about any relevant research in child development.
Secondly, the Parenting Coordinator assists parents with the successful implementation of their Parenting Plan or Court Order. If there is a dispute as to the interpretation or implementation of any terms of the Parenting Plan or Court Order, the Parenting Coordinator will try to mediate an agreement between the parties and if that fails, the Parenting Coordinator can then make a binding arbitral decision that is in the best interests of the child.
The Parenting Coordination process, as differing from mediation or arbitration, does not include decisions about legal custody, mobility or parenting schedules other than those of interpretation or of a “one time” or temporary nature.
With a social work background and specific Parenting Coordination training, Dana can assist you as a Parenting Coordinator to ensure orders and agreements are safely implemented and adhered to, and more importantly, to assist in lowering the level of conflict so that children can have better outcomes in the face of parental disputes.
