Many couples can divorce without high-conflict situations arising, but this isn’t always the case. If you and your spouse are struggling to agree on issues about parenting, it can be especially difficult. More and more these days, the courts are calling on third-parties to help with decisions about important parenting matters.
One of the most common resources used in Florida cases are parenting coordinator. Parenting coordinators are court-approved experts who help with dispute resolution that arise regarding parenting plans and custody.
Here’s what you need to know if the court recommends this for your famiy.
What Does a Parenting Coordinator Actually Do?
A parenting coordinator is an impartial third party who works with parents on issues involving their parenting plan. The coordinator may provide education, help facilitate communication, and make recommendations when parents cannot agree.
Under Florida law, a parenting coordinator can also make limited decisions in certain circumstances, but there is an important limitation. Those decisions require prior approval from both the parents and the court and must stay within the scope of the court’s referral order. A parenting coordinator does not simply take over a judge’s role in deciding custody or other major issues.
This distinction matters because parents sometimes hear that a third party has been appointed and assume that person now has broad authority over their family. That is not how Florida’s parenting coordination process works.
When Can a Florida Court Appoint One?
A court may appoint a parenting coordinator in a case involving a parenting plan when the court believes the process could help resolve disputes. The appointment can happen on the court’s own motion, at the request of one of the parents, or when both parents agree.
Parenting coordination is intended to be child-focused. Instead of returning to court every time parents disagree about an issue covered by their parenting plan, the coordinator can help address those disputes within the limits of the court’s order.
That can be particularly relevant when parents repeatedly end up back in court over smaller disagreements that are creating ongoing tension for the family.
There Are Limits on Who Can Serve as a Coordinator
Florida does not allow just anyone to take on this role. State law establishes professional and training requirements for qualified parenting coordinators. Depending on their professional background, a coordinator may be a licensed mental health professional, physician, family law mediator with the required education, or Florida Bar member. Additional training in parenting coordination, family dynamics, Florida family law, domestic violence, and child abuse is also required.
Florida’s courts also maintain qualification and disciplinary procedures for parenting coordinators, including a Parenting Coordinator Review Board that handles complaints.
What About Domestic Violence?
Parenting coordination is not appropriate for every family. Florida law specifically addresses cases involving a history of domestic violence.
When there has been a history of domestic violence, a court generally cannot refer the parents to parenting coordination unless both parents consent. The law also contains provisions addressing emergencies and circumstances involving domestic violence, child abuse, neglect, or other safety concerns.
That is an important safeguard when deciding whether this type of dispute resolution is appropriate.
Is Parenting Coordination Right for Your Situation?
If you are involved in a high-conflict parenting case or have questions about whether a parenting coordinator could be used in your situation, a Florida family law attorney can explain how the process may apply to your particular circumstances.
To learn more or to speak to someone about your family’s situation, contact the Law Offices of Robert M. Geller.
