What is a Parent Coordinator, and what do they do?
A Parent Coordinator is a neutral party in child-focused conflict resolutions. They assist parents in creating parenting plans, implementing these plans, providing education, and making recommendations. With prior approval of the parents and the court, the Parent Coordinator can make limited decisions within the scope of the court’s order of referral or appointment contract.
Parent Coordinators include mental health and legal professionals with mediation training. They are there to protect and sustain safe, healthy, and meaningful parent-child relationships. They monitor compliance with the parenting-plan details and resolve parental conflicts promptly.
When should you seek a Parent Coordinator?
A Parent Coordinator is retained with a written agreement between the parties, or the court may appoint a qualified Parent Coordinator. A motion must be filed with the Clerk of Court and served on the other party(ies). Before an appointment, the parties or their attorneys need to schedule a hearing to identify certain findings per Florida Statute §61.125.
When a history of domestic violence is present, a Parent Coordinator may not be referred unless there is direct consent from both parents. The court will order safeguards to protect the safety of all participants when either party has committed an act of domestic violence as defined in s. 741.28, or child abuse as defined in s. 39.01. The court will provide an opportunity to consult with your attorney or domestic violence advocate before accepting each party’s consent.
When parents cannot co-parent, make joint decisions for their children, follow the parenting plan, or have trouble with communication, a parent coordinator should be appointed or hired to assist a family in transition.
Is the information confidential in parent coordination?
- Used as Identification, authentication, confirmation, or denial of a written agreement entered into by the parties during parenting coordination.
- Necessary to identify an issue for resolution by the court.
- Limited to the subject of a party’s compliance with the order of referral to parenting coordination.
- This includes orders for psychological evaluation, counseling ordered by the court or recommended by a health care provider, or for substance abuse testing or treatment.
- Necessary for protection of any person from future acts of domestic violence (under chapter 741); child abuse, neglect, or abandonment (under chapter 39); or abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an elderly or disabled adult (under chapter 825)
What happens if an agreement cannot be reached?
It’s not often that solutions to contested issues cannot be reached once a Parent Coordinator is appointed or retained. If no agreement is reached, the issue is set for a hearing, and the parenting coordinator provides input to the judge.
A Parent Coordinators can guide you through dispute resolutions
Qualifications of a Parent Coordinator
To be qualified, a Parent Coordinator must meet the following professional requirements:
- Be a licensed mental health professional or licensed physician with certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
or
- Be a Florida Supreme Court certified family law mediator in good standing with the bar and at least a master’s degree in a mental health field or a licensed attorney in good standing.
They must also complete the following:
- Three years of post-licensure or post-certification practice.
- A family mediation training program certified by the Florida Supreme Court.
- A minimum of 24 hours of parenting coordination training in parenting coordination concepts and ethics, family systems theory and application, family dynamics in separation and divorce, child and adolescent development, the parenting coordination process, parenting coordination techniques, and Florida family law and procedure, and a minimum of 4 hours of training in domestic violence and child abuse which is related to parenting coordination.
Additional qualifications may be required to address issues specific to the parties.
When you are at your worst, we are at our best!
If you want to use parent coordination to resolve your parenting issues, we can help. If you require a family law mediator, Parent Coordinator, or attorney (lawyer) in the state of Florida (or for a Parent Coordinator in the following counties: Orange, Osceola, Seminole, or Brevard), call Schwam-Wilcox & Associates at 407-245-7700, or contact us by completing the form below to schedule a consultation.
Our attorneys are here to guide you through dispute resolutions through in-person and virtual appointments over Zoom. Schwam-Wilcox & Associates is a firm you can trust, and our attorneys are ready to help you with your legal needs. The main office is conveniently located near Winter Park in Altamonte Springs, with appointments available in The Villages. When you’re going through your worst, we are at our best!
