Parent Coordinator Agreement

Parent coordinator agreements aid in contentious situations.

When separated or divorced individuals with parental responsibilities have a high level of conflict that cannot be mutually resolved, the court may appoint a qualified, neutral third-party parent coordinator to draw up a binding coordinator agreement.

Purpose

All parties agree to resolve parenting conflicts.

The parent coordinator agreement states that the parenting individuals have sought the services of the coordinator to act in the best interest of the child by resolving conflicts as they occur. The coordinator develops a parenting plan in compliance with the orders of the court and communicates it to the parenting individuals, each of whom must sign it.

Terms

The parent coordinator communicates, moderates and decides.

The agreed upon parenting plan details a full scope of issues: visitation, pick up times, telephone access, education, special needs and any other issues that need to be documented. The parent coordinator serves as a facilitator for communications between the parents by conducting regularly scheduled appointments and other means of communication, mediating disputes and making decisions as arbitrator, if resolution cannot be agreed upon.

Fees

Fee payments are usually split.

The parent coordinator agreement details the amount and type of fees that the parenting partners pay, which is usually spit down the middle unless one party uses the services a disproportionate amount of the time.

References

• Divorce Resource: The Role of the Parenting Coordinator
• The Divorce Center: Parent Facilitator - Parent Coordinator
• Your Social Worker: Parent Coordinator Agreement

Resources

• Palm Beach Bar: Parent Coordinator Agreement