Is “Parent Coordination” Right For You and Your Ex?
When parents are raising children in separate households, there are bound to be disputes. Understandably so, custody orders can sometimes be more difficult to execute in real life than anticipated. Issues may arise that are not specifically addressed by your order or you are required to agree on something, and an agreement cannot be reached.
As experienced family law attorneys, we have received many calls and emails from our clients about child-related disagreements. COVID-19 and the issues arising from it have also created disputes that custody orders did not anticipate. The team at Wasserman Family Law wishes more parents knew about Parent Coordination and how it can benefit them and their children.
What is Parent Coordination?
Parent Coordination is a service for separated parents. Instead of contacting their respective attorneys, the parents meet regularly with a certified Parent Coordinator (PC) to resolve disputes regarding their shared children.
Parent Coordinators (PC) are specially trained to resolve disputes in high-conflict custody matters. In an attempt to avoid the parents having to return to Court, Parent Coordinators can help to draft a parenting plan, monitor continued compliance of the parenting plan, and can help resolve minor disputes between parents. Most importantly, when the parents cannot reach a consensus, the Parent Coordinator has the ability to decide on their behalf.
What are the benefits of Parent Coordination?
Parent Coordination can save time, money, and benefit the mental health of parents and children.
Parent Coordination saves you time because there is not a lot of back and forth between parents and lawyers trying to make a decision. Instead, the issue will be resolved during the designated session.
Parent Coordination saves you money because it is less expensive than hiring an attorney or going through the legal system. Your attorney can address the higher-level casework, while the Parent Coordinator can address the day-to-day issues.
Parent Coordination benefits the mental health of everyone involved because it designates a private space to discuss arguments, away from the children, and come to resolutions that both exes agree to.
Is Parent Coordination right for me and my ex?
Parent Coordination is especially helpful for exes that have a difficult time getting along and need outside help to resolve disagreements. Here are some instances that we recommend you consider hiring a certified Parent Coordinator:
You and your ex have a difficult time making joint decisions about your children.
You and your ex constantly fight over your children and custody schedules.
You and/or your ex frequently reach out to legal counsel for help with custody disagreements.
You and your ex argue about the day-to-day issues.
Laurie M. Wasserman is a trained and certified Parent Coordinator (PC) and has helped many parents throughout Maryland resolve their disputes through the PC process. To serve as a PC, Laurie was required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of specified training in addition to 60 hours of mediation training skills. Contact Laurie M. Wasserman at laurie@wassermanlawoffice.com or call our main number 410-842-1070. We can assist with Parent Coordination either in-person or virtually.
Next Reads
Top 10 Reasons to Use a Parent Coordinator for Custody Disputes
How Parent Coordination Can Resolve Disagreements About Your Children