Parenting Coordination Central

STIPULATION APPOINTING A PARENTING COORDINATOR

We have reviewed this document and are stipulating to the appointment of a parenting coordinator as follows:

1. Parent Coordinator: The parties shall agree on a parent coordinator within thirty (30) days of the date of this Order. If counsel and/or pro se litigant cannot agree on the designation of a parent coordinator, the Court, on Motion by either party, and without a hearing, shall appoint one through the Cooperative Parenting Institute. The parent coordinator shall have the following minimal qualifications:
A. Licensed mental health provider trained in family therapy, child development, conflict resolution and
B. A minimum of 40 hrs in family mediation and
C. A minimum of 20 hrs. of parenting coordination training

2. Expense Shared Equality: Initially, the parents shall equally share financial responsibility to pay the parent coordinator (the Court reserves the right to resolve any objection to the changes made and redistribute the cost on a pro rata basis if appropriate). Each parent shall promptly pay one-half of any reasonable bill submitted by the coordinator. If the parties fall behind 30 days or more on their balance they shall be responsible for a 15% finance charge each month. The Court shall enforce payment of any amounts owed to the parent coordinator (P.C.) by either party through contempt proceedings, if necessary.

3. General Responsibilities of Parent Coordinator: Under Georgia law, the children are entitled to access to both parties, without interference from either parent or anyone else, once the parties separate. The parent coordinator shall assist the parties and the children to promote the children’s best interest in general. The PC is entitled to communicate with the parties, children, health care providers, psychological providers, teachers and any other third parties deemed necessary by the parent coordinator. The parties recognize that parent coordination is not psychotherapy and therefore is not confidential. The parties shall cooperate with the coordinator by executing any necessary releases.

4. Role of Parent Coordinator: The parent coordinator shall:

4.1 Make any recommendations relative to enforcing any shared parenting plan and parenting schedule and to minimize conflicts between the parties by addressing the particular patterns of behavior for the parties;

4.2 Assist the parent in implementing any plan or schedule so that the children have continuous and consistent contact with both parents.

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4.3 Minimize conflict, loyalty binds and unnecessary stress for the children

4.4 The parent coordinator has the following broad responsibilities; To educate, mediate, monitor and make recommendations as needed. In addition, the PC may

4.4.1 Recommend approaches that will reduce conflict between parents. Require parents to temporarily make adjustments to reduce conflict for the child/ren. However, the PC may not make changes to each parent’s custodial time.

4.4.2 Recommend compliance with any parenting plan, parenting schedule in the Court’s Order or Settlement Agreement. In addition the PC may monitor parental behaviors and program agreements and report any noncompliance to the parent’s counsel if necessary.

4.4.3 Recommend outside resources as needed such as random drug screens, parenting classes, psychotherapy.

4.4.4 Monitor parenting plan or parenting schedule and mediate the parent’s disputes concerning parenting issues.

4.4.5 Write detailed guidelines or rules recommended for communication between
parents and practicing those guidelines or rules with the parents. If parenting skills are lacking, the coordinator shall work with one or both parents to teach those skills.

4.4.6 Recommend modification of the parenting plan when agreement or
consensus cannot be reached, as a means of reducing conflict and promoting the best interests of the children. Any recommendation modification of a plan or schedule shall be in writing and submitted to the parents and their attorneys

4.4.7 Prior to completion, write modifications of the parenting plan when mutual
agreement has been made by both parents and their attorneys

4.4.8 Prior to completion, recommend how a particular element of the parenting
plan or schedule shall be implemented including, without limitation, the frequency and length of visitation, temporary changes in the schedule, holiday or vacation planning, logistics of pick up and drop off, suitability of accommodations, issues dealing with stepparents and significant others

4.4.9 Work with both parents and any significant others to update and find tune
their parenting schedule over time. (All possible changes in the family’s circumstances could not be foreseen when the parenting plan originated). Parenting schedules, post divorce, may need to be adjusted to children’s changing developmental needs, schools, new blended families or evolving outside interests. At the completion of the program, both parents shall be put on an “as needed basis” to minimize problems in the future;

4.4.10 Ensuring that both parents maintain ongoing relationships with the children; and
 

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4.4.11 Recommending a final decision on any parenting issue over which the parents
reach an impasse, by submission of a written recommendation to the parents and their counsel

4.5 Educate the parents with a program such as Cooperative Parenting in the areas of:
4.5.1 effective communication and negotiation skills
4.5.2 effective parenting skills
4.5.3 how to meet the developmental needs of their children
4.5.4 how to disengage from each other when it leads to conflict
4.5.5 how to keep their children out of the middle
4.5.6 the sources of their conflict and its effects on the children. When a loyalty bind is
occurring, the PC shall point it out and help both parents stop the behavior leading to this dilemma for the children.

The PC may determine if the educational component is completed in a group format with other divorcing parents or in a co-parent format. If the parents participate in a group the PC. may determine if they participate in the same group together or separately. The joint co-parent sessions may occur simultaneously or after the completion of an eight week group.

4.6 The PC shall maintain communication among all parties by serving, if necessary, as a
conduit for information. The PC is not the ally of either parent and the PC is not a neutral mediator. The parent coordinator’s role is active and specifically focused on helping parents work together for the benefit of the children. The PC’s fundamental role is to minimize the conflict to which the children are exposed by the parents.

4.7 The PC is not a custody evaluator, nor can they change the amount of custodial time
either parent has been granted by the courts. Making decisions to place children in the residence and custody of one parent would seriously compromise the parent coordinator’s neutrality. The PC does not have the power to recommend changes relevant to the primary residence of the children. The PC may make temporary changes to reduce conflict for the children or to better understand the needs of the children. Temporary changes are those changes that would not expand more than a few weeks and might include slight changes in the transfer location, time of phone calls and other parenting issues.

4.8 The PC shall recommend, if necessary, supervised visitation to protect the children, but
not as a sanction. The coordinator may also recommend a move from supervised to unsupervised visitation in writing to counsel.

4.9 Assistance provided by the PC is not intended to be a crisis service except when a crisis directly impacts on the child. Unless an emergency directly impacts on the child neither parent shall contact the PC outside normal working hours.

4.10 Significant financial matters shall not be addressed by the parent coordinator

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5. Meeting with the Parent Coordinator

5.1 The PC may meet with the parties, the children, and significant others jointly or
separately. The parent coordinator shall determine if the appointments shall be joint or separate. The PC shall determine if the joint appointments are video or audio taped for educational purposes. The tapes may be reviewed by either parent during or after their appointments.

5.2 Both parent shall contact the Parent Coordinator to schedule appointments.
Appointments may also be scheduled when the Parent Coordinator requests.

5.3 Each parent should direct any disagreements or concerns regarding the children to
the PC during the active phase of the process.. The PC shall work with both parents to resolve the conflict and if necessary, shall recommend an appropriate resolution to the parents.

6. Written and Oral Documents and Appearance in Court:

6.1 At the completion of the work, the PC may submit a final memo or written report
to the parent’s counsel describing any conflicts and the Parent Coordinator’s recommended resolutions. The PC may also report to the parties and their counsel on parental compliance with and parental attitudes about any element of the parenting plan as amended by agreement or the parties or as determined by the PC. Copies of all memos or reports to the Court shall be sent to the parties and their attorneys, not to the Court directly.

6.2 If either parent requests the PC to testify on any matter, he or she must file a
Motion and Notice of Hearing and show good cause in the Motion and at the hearing why the Court should require the PC to testify. The PC must be given a copy of the Motion and Notice of Hearing. If the Parent Coordinator is required to testify, a new Parent Coordinator may be assigned by the Parent Coordinator to be available to the family after the hearing date.

7. Terms of Appointment;

7.1 The parties shall honor the standard parent coordination guidelines outlined in the program materials.

7.2 The appointment of the PC is for an indefinite period of time. However, as soon as the parties have stabilized their family they shall be transferred to an “on needed basis.” If the parties are unable to make progress and they return to court, they may request that the appointment be terminated. The Parent Coordinator may be discharged by the Court, or by written agreement of the parties. Both parties have the right to request a new parent coordinator one time. The former PC shall select the next PC through trained coordinators at the CPI.

7.3 If a compliant shall be lodged against the Court’s appointed parent coordinator by either party, the complaint shall be presented to the licensing board only IF:

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7.3.1 The complainant was a party to the action; and
7.3.2 The allegations were submitted to the Court; and
7.3.3 The court-appointed parent coordinator received an opportunity to present a defense against the allegations in the Court; and
7.3.4 The Court issued an order or judgment containing an express finding that the Court appointed parent coordinator did not perform services to the satisfaction of the Court.

7.4 At the completion of the work with the PC, a closing memo shall be sent to the parties and their counsel indicating that they have moved to an as needed basis. At that time, the
parent coordinator shall no longer have any authority to make recommendations or temporary changes.

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Parent Name-Print

__________________________________________ _____/_____/_____
Parent Signature Date

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Parent Name- Print

__________________________________________ _____/_____/_____
Parent Signature Date

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