Parenting Coordination
We are Florida Supreme Court Certified and Eleventh Judicial Circuit Approved Parenting Coordinators
What is Parenting Coordination?
Parenting coordination is a child-focused alternative dispute resolution process in which mental health or legal professionals with mediation training and experience assist high conflict parents to implement their parenting plan by facilitating the resolution of their disputes in a timely manner, educating parents about children’s needs, and with prior approval of the parties and/or the court, making decisions within the scope of the court order or appointment contract.
The overall objective of parenting coordination is to assist high conflict parents to implement their parenting plan, to monitor compliance with the details of the plan, to resolve conflicts regarding their children and the parenting plan in a timely manner, and to protect and sustain safe, healthy and meaningful parent-child relationships. Parenting coordination is a quasi-legal, mental health, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process that combines assessment, education, case management, conflict management and sometimes decision-making functions.
The Parenting Coordinator role is most frequently reserved for those high conflict parents who have demonstrated their longer-term inability or unwillingness to make parenting decisions on their own, to comply with parenting agreements and orders, to reduce their child-related conflicts, and to protect their children from the impact of that conflict.
Parenting coordination sessions can be held in person, over the phone, or via email or other electronic media. The in-person sessions are often held at the parenting coordinator’s office;
Florida Statute 61.125, effective October 1, 2009, governs the practice of parenting coordination in Florida, and delineates specific qualifications of a court appointed parenting coordinator:
1. One of the following: license as a mental health professional under chapter 490 or chapter 491; license as a physician under chapter 458, with certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; certification as a Florida Supreme Court Family Law Mediator, with at least a master degree in a mental health field; member in good standing of The Florida Bar.
2. All of the following: three years of post-licensure or post-certification practice; training in family mediation program certified by the Florida Supreme Court; minimum of 24 hours training as specified in F.S. 61.125 (2)(c); minimum of 4 hours training in domestic violence and child abuse which is related to parenting coordination.
Your Family's Future is our First Priority
Contact Us if you believe a Parenting Coordinator would be useful to your case or for further information please call us a 305-670-2510, hit the Online Contact form button below, or email us.