In September, Laurie M. Wasserman participated in a 40-hour training resulting in her earning a certificate in Parent Coordination, issued by the Administrative Offices of the Court. By earning the certificate, she is eligible to be appointed as a Parent Coordinator by Courts throughout the State, or by agreement of the parties.
What is Parent Coordination?
Couples with children, whether they were married or not, need to work out their differences to make sure their children’s needs come first. If parents have joint legal custody, they are required to make joint decisions regarding their child’s medical care, education, religious upbringing, and overall welfare and well-being. Parents with shared physical custody need to continually address day-to-day issues involving their children.
Parent Coordination is a process where a trained facilitator gives parents additional assistance in their efforts to co-parent. A Parent Coordinator (PC) is not an attorney or a mediator. Rather, a PC is an impartial party designed to help parents try to resolve issues relating to their children and, if they are unable to resolve those issues, can make minor, temporary modifications to child access provisions.
What does a Parent Coordinator do?
A PC will have an Order in place stating specifically what the PC’s role is in the case.
If appointed by the Court, the PC can do the following:
if there is no custody and visitation order, work with parents to develop an agreed plan for custody and visitation; parents
if there is a custody and visitation order, assist parents in resolving disputes about the interpretation of the order;
educate parents about making and implementing decisions that are in the best interest of the child;
assist parents in developing guidelines for appropriate communication;
suggest resources to assist parents;
assist parents in modifying patterns of behavior and in developing strategies to manage and reduce conflict and to reduce the impact of any conflict upon their child;
decide post-judgment disputes by making minor, temporary modifications to child access provisions.
Parent Coordination is an excellent resource for parents want to shield their children from their conflict and learn better ways to resolve their disputes. Parents can meet with the PC much quicker than they can get back into Court, making this process another way to circumvent litigation.
If you are interested in learning more about the Parent Coordination process, or setting up an appointment to begin Parent Coordination, please contact Wasserman Family Law at 410-842-1070 or laurie@wassermanlawoffice.com to set up an appointment.