If your divorce or breakup was volatile or contentious, chances are your efforts at co-parenting with your ex often hit snags that you cannot seem to resolve. Like many New Jersey parents who have gone through a traumatic breakup or litigated divorce, you may dread the thought of having to return to court to settle matters that may seem routine to other families. However, you may be happy to learn that there is another option.
Using a parent coordinator has saved many families the stress and expense of taking their family disputes back to court again and again. If you and your ex are struggling to work together for the good of your children, you may want to explore this options and learn how a parent coordinator may benefit you.
Can a parent coordinator help your family?
How often has this scenario occurred since your breakup? You make a simple decision about the child without consulting the other parent. Perhaps you agree to let your child get pierced ears, or you sign your child up for a sporting team. Your ex contends that this was not your decision to make alone, and an argument ensues. One of you contacts your attorney, who contacts the attorney of the other parent, and soon, you are standing in front of a judge.
With a parent coordinator, you may be able to resolve the dispute more quickly and save your family the time, money and grief of taking the matter to court. A parent coordinator works as a kind of mediator for modifying the custody schedule, settling issues regarding bedtime, homework, discipline and other routines, and providing parents with access to the resources they may need to help them comply with their parenting agreement or order.
The role of the coordinator
A parenting coordinator can assist you in reaching decisions that are in the best interests of the children, and mediate when this becomes difficult for you and your ex. If you cannot reach a decision on an issue, the coordinator may step in and make the best possible decision to resolve the issue.
One important fact to know about parent coordinators is that your meetings with them are not necessarily confidential. In other words, if your custody matters go before a judge, the court may call the parent coordinator to testify about what transpired in your meetings and how each parent behaved. This often motivates parents to work as cooperatively as possible during sessions. In fact, many parents rely on coordinators for the long-term as they struggle with the challenges of high-conflict co-parenting.