The Progressive Lawyer

The “Parenting Coordinator” or “Parent Coordinator” (PC) is a newly evolving professional role, which is now being implemented in an increasing number of states — with or without the benefit of a specific Rule of Court or statutory authority — as a means for dealing with high-conflict families involved in domestic relations proceedings before the courts.

The Parenting Coordinator role has frequently been touted for its ability to help families design, execute and review workable parenting plans, while reducing (theoretically, at least) re-litigation rates in cases where high levels of conflict may seriously compromise the family acculturation process. It is particularly useful where close attention and review of individual cases may be helpful for families that have been repeatedly or even incessantly involved in custody or parenting-related litigation. The role may likewise be useful in situations where parents have serious difficulty making important joint decisions about their children, and who therefore could well benefit from assistance coordinating their parenting efforts, or where one or both of the parents may be mentally ill to some extent, intermittently or otherwise. More extreme contexts for PC use might include potentially abusive situations where there are ongoing, albeit unsubstantiated allegations of sexual or other physical abuse of a child.