Parenting Coordination is a child- and family-focused form of alternative dispute resolution especially used in high-conflict families. Parents have likely been referred and/or court ordered to engage in this process because the ongoing conflict in their family has been detrimental to their child, and our traditional judicial system has not been able to help.

As Parenting Coordinators at Legal Alternatives, our job is to help you work through and resolve disputes related to your child and ultimately reduce the conflict you continue to experience.  In working together to reduce the conflict, our goal will also be to minimize or even eliminate court involvement in your family’s life.

Our Parenting Coordinators will engage in a child-focused dispute resolution process by agreement and/or as ordered by the court to assist Parents in implementing parental rights and responsibilities or companionship time order, and/or to help minimize the ongoing conflict. Parenting Coordinators will use assessment, education, case management, conflict management, coaching, referral to other resources, and/or or final decision-making as a part of the process.

While the Parenting Coordinator’s first goal is to assist parents in making child-centered decisions, and learning more effective ways of communicating with one another, the Parenting Coordinator has an obligation to decide certain matters in which parents cannot agree. Therefore, if an agreement cannot be reached by the parties, unlike in mediation, the Parenting Coordinator may issue and file a written decision with the Court.

Additional information about Parenting Coordination can be found on the Parenting Coordination Info Sheet under “Clients – Forms”.

If you have agreed to and/or are court ordered to attend parenting coordination with one of our Parenting Coordinators, please complete the Intake and Initial Screening Forms found here, and contact our office.