Who, or what, is a parent coordinator?
Hi There,
When parents cannot communicate or agree after a divorce a parent coordinator is sometime used to help resolve matters. There's a very interesting article in this week's issue of Massachusetts Lawyer's Weekly which gives a much more in- depth presentation. if you are involved in any custody or disputed parenting actions you might want to read it.
There is a dispute among divorce practitioners as to the utility of parent coordinators. A few extremely good divorce litigators refuse to use parent coordinators at all. I happen to think that in the right circumstances and with the right parent coordinator they can be invaluable. No matter how much a parent coordinator charges, it will be less than the costs of litigation. I also think there is a true psychological benefit to the kids to keeping their parents out of court.
May you never need a parent coordinator.
Best,
Nancy
From my perspective a parent coordinator is a terrific tool. They eliminate heated discussions, e-mails, and arguments between the parents. This reduces tension and this is in the best interest of the children. I think children feel more secure when there are clear plans in place and conflict is removed.
Unfortunately, I am post divorce with a person who refuses to utilize a parent coordinator and we desperately need one. We have used attorneys to resolve matters that were better suited for a parent coordinator. Both attorneys strongly recommended a parent coordinator to us. I have been requesting that we make the move to a coordinator for well over a year now. There continue to be senseless disputes. Despite my earnest efforts, I am being forced to engage in managing this myself and dealing with needless conflict.
So from my point of view, given my situation, a court mandate would be good. I would give anything to have a judge say we had to use a coordinator. I'm sure I'm not alone.