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Parenting Coordination

Let’s not lose sight of what is truly important – the children.

The level of conflict between parents is one of the key predictors of children’s long-term adjustment following a divorce.

Parents involved in high-conflict, high-drama divorce disputes are often so drained by and diverted toward the conflict that they have no more time or energy to focus on the children. This is particularly difficult, given that the children are, after all, the reason we fight so hard. Their well-being, their ability to grow and develop, and all that is in their best interest – though that is not always the driving force in divorce disputes.

As a parenting coordinator, Dr. Lopes is a qualified professional who has specific training and meets national training guidelines. She has extensive experience in the following disciplines: family systems theory, developmental psychology, high conflict divorce resolution techniques including mediation, children adjustment issues specific to divorce including parental alienation, domestic abuse, and knowledge of the legal facets of divorce. 

Dispute resolution

Parenting Coordination is a non-adversarial dispute resolution process. It can be court ordered or agreed upon by divorced and/or separated parents. Often these parents have an ongoing pattern of high conflict about their children.

The underlying principle of the Parenting Coordination intervention is a continuous focus on the children’s best interests by the Parenting Coordinator (PC) in working with high conflict parents and in decision-making.

The attempts are to help keep the children in these cases from getting caught in the tug of war and out of the line of fire. Parenting Coordination can help to create specific plans, developmentally appropriate schedules for children, and teach parents necessary communication skills.

All this with the end goal in mind to eventually co-parent without intervention… or a referee.

The Court may appoint a parenting coordinator when:

  • The parties have failed to adequately implement their shared parenting plan in relation to the child;
  • Mediation has not been successful or has been determined by the court to be inappropriate;
  • The court finds that appointment of a parenting coordinator is necessary to protect the child from harm caused by the parents’ failure to implement the shared parenting plan;
  • The court finds that there is a need for a parenting coordinator to protect and sustain safe, healthy, and meaningful parent-child relationships;
  • The court has entered a temporary or final order setting out the nature and extent of the contact between the child and each parent.

Will our children respect us when they’re adults for the way we handled the divorce?

Parenting Coordination is designed to help parents implement parenting plans, in a manner consistent with children’s developmental and psychological needs and to reduce the amount of damaging conflict to which children are exposed.

It is important to ask the tough, but important questions about one’s parenting style and decision-making. In the end, you can ask yourself, “Do I love my kids more than I dislike my ex?” And that answer is, “Yes!”

For more information, please fill out the form below or call our office at (772) 774-4727 ext.101