Co-parenting isn’t always a very easy thing to do. A big part of doing so involves making joint decisions about all sorts of things concerning your children, whether it be what they eat for dinner tonight to which school they attend. When making these kinds of decisions results in conflict and you can’t even get close to reaching a resolution, it’s probably time to enlist help from a professional. That’s where a parenting coordinator may be able to help.
Parenting coordinators are specially trained professionals whose work focuses on helping co-parents manage their parenting plan, improve communication, and resolve disputes. A parenting coordinator’s role will vary based on what it is that the family needs and what the court stipulates. They may be there to monitor that parents are complying with their parenting agreement, educate and offer recommendations on ways to solve issues, or even make certain decisions for the parents based on what the court allows. Even though the parenting coordinator is there to work with the co-parents, the overarching focus of their work is to uphold the best interests of the children and encourage each parent to do so as well.
In helping co-parents to resolve conflicts and manage their parenting plan, a parenting coordinator will also work towards helping high-conflict clients to stay out of the courtroom. Many co-parents who have been in the courtroom numerous times over disputes, for things like showing up ten minutes late for a parenting time exchange, are probably ready to stop going back to court themselves. When situations such as these come up, the parenting coordinator may suggest ways in which parents might resolve the issue. In some instances, the parenting coordinator may even make the decision, as long as doing so is within their obligations.
As a co-parent, you may be wondering if working with a parenting coordinator is in your best interest. In essence, if you are constantly in conflict and cannot resolve issues with your co-parent, a parenting coordinator may be able to help get you out of this situation. Here are five reasons to work with a parenting coordinator:
You are more likely to spend less time in the courtroom. When your parenting coordinator is there to help by offering guidance or even making decisions when you can’t come to one, you’ll spend less time arguing with your co-parent to no end. When you’re not arguing as much, you are also less likely to make countless return trips to court. In turn, this will also help you to save money by not having to spend more on legal fees.