Parenting Coordination

Parenting coordination is an innovative child-centered intervention for high-conflict parents (separated, divorced, or never married) whose ongoing conflict renders them unable to make optimal parenting decisions on their own. Such decisions might include custody agreements, visitation rights, child-rearing methods, and other responsibilities. The parenting coordinator helps these parents resolve their disputes amicably and in the best interests of the child. It also encourages parents to resolve their conflicts without the need for litigation in family court.

This comprehensive and practical guide explains the core legal and psychological concepts behind parenting coordination, as well as the conflict mediation skills necessary to work with families enmeshed in discord. It offers a step-by-step guide to the parenting coordination process, including understanding family dynamics, building consensus, creating a successful parenting plan, and communicating with the court. It includes sample parenting plans, service agreements, court orders, court reports, and more. It is an essential resource for a multidisciplinary audience that includes mental health practitioners, lawyers, mediators, custody evaluators, and all those who work in family law.

Key Topics:

The professional role and responsibilities of the parenting coordinator

The benefits of parenting coordination for parents, children, and the family court system

Identifying parenting interaction and conflict management styles

Strategies to disengage from conflict and build consensus

Identifying parental alienation, estrangement, and parental alignment

Developing a successful parenting plan

Understanding ethical issues and responsibilities

Special interventions for families with histories of substance abuse, mental illness, and/or family violence