Parenting Coordination in High Conflict Situations

Mediation Alternatives and Options in Randolph, Madison, Tewksbury, Morristown, and Morris County

Parenting coordination could make your “high conflict” divorce litigation, civil union dissolution, the dissolution of your legal relationship, or co-parenting situation less contentious and more focused on your child’s needs.  Maybe you have concerns about your rights as a grandparent. When struggling with complicated and emotional child support and custody issues, basic day-to-day decisions, and parenting time conflicts, most families can use all the support systems available to them. Whether you are unmarried co-parents or parents going through a divorce, coming to an amicable child custody agreement is a great way to care for your children and protect your parental rights.

As a child-centered alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”) and mediation method, parenting coordination is a non-confidential mental health process that combines education, case and conflict management, and assessment in an effort to facilitate a resolution on one or more particular issues.

Morristown Divorce and Family Law Attorneys Discuss Parenting Coordination

At Jacobs Berger, LLC our family law attorneys believe that one size does not fit all when it comes to child custody agreements and settling conflicts in a more reasonable and pragmatic manner than traditional litigation-based divorces. Our unique approach to family law matters centers around open and honest communication between the parties, and finding solutions which allows parents to maintain the stability of their co-parenting relationship, their relationship with their children, and their financial and legal futures.

Our team of qualified divorce and family law attorneys seek to mitigate the financial and emotional stresses with open communication and cooperative conflict resolution. For this and many other reasons, we take pride in offering personalized and dynamic legal solutions for our Morris County clients in Morristown, Madison, Randolph, East Hanover, Tewksbury, Denville, Dover, Florham Park, and across Northern New Jersey.

Call our office today for a strategic planning session regarding your child custody questions and concerns or to discuss any other family law matter.

Objectives of Parenting Coordination in Morris County

The ultimate goal of parenting coordination is to support parents in learning how to better communicate and work for their child’s benefit; gradually developing safer, healthier and more meaningful parent-child relationships. This is often done by assisting “high-conflict parents” to implement their parenting plan, monitoring plan compliance, and resolving conflicts regarding the children or the parenting plan in a timely manner; supporting all parties and their children to exist and live relatively free from the stress of parental conflict.

What Does a Parent Coordinator Do?

The main role of the parent coordinator is facilitating the resolution of parental disputes in a timely manner, educating parents about the children’s needs, reduce misunderstandings, clarify priorities, and with prior approval of the parties and/or the court, issue recommendations or decisions within the scope of the court order or parenting coordination contract.

A parenting coordinator can be an attorney, nurse, social worker, psychiatrist professional, or therapist. As a neutral third party they: 

• meet with parents and children to resolve disputes
• interview family members, doctors, schools, and other parties for relevant information
• offer advice on day-to-day issues parents experience
• settle matters regarding holiday scheduling and child exchanges
• provide solutions to child healthcare, discipline, and school issues and activities
• make recommendations to the court regarding custody, parenting time, and overall child safety

Benefits of Parenting Coordination 

If one or both spouses has problems maintaining the co-parenting agreement or parenting plan, substance abuse issues, or if a child has special needs, or there are concerns about either parent’s mental health, a parenting coordinator might be necessary. Consult an attorney to learn if appointing a parenting coordinator would be in the “best interests” of the child.

How Can I Get The Most Out My Parenting Coordinator?

Choose the correct parenting coordinator for your family. Each option will bring something different to the table, depending on their profession, experience, and training. Consider what your needs are when deciding who to select. You and your co-parent can pick a specific coordinator, or you can leave this task to your attorneys. Then, attend meetings with your coordinator with an open mind. The goal is to compromise with your co-parent for the benefit of your child(ren). Coming to the table with an open mind can facilitate positivity in the process.

Contact our Morristown Parenting Coordination Family Law Attorneys Today

At The Law Office of Jacobs Berger, LLC our attorneys have extensive experience helping our clients to more peaceably, privately, inexpensively, and efficiently resolve their family law issues through the arbitration and mediation process in Randolph, Madison, Tewksbury, Morristown, Hanover, Florham Park, and the greater Morris County area. The unique approach of our firm focuses on helping clients to construct the building blocks for a successful legal, financial, and parental future, rather than tearing down all that you have worked to achieve through contentious, and often unnecessary, litigation.

Regardless of how you choose to resolve your divorce or the dissolution of your legal relationship, we are ready to provide you with skilled legal guidance and representation throughout the process, and ensure you and your family’s future.

To schedule a confidential case assessment with our firm today to learn how the mediation process can benefit you, please contact us online, or through our Morristown, NJ office at (973) 710-4366.