Parent Coordination Services
Unfortunately, even after enduring the stress of court proceedings and receiving a custody order, confusion and disagreements can persist concerning child custody. To reduce conflict and keep families out of court, a judge may appoint a parenting coordinator (PC) to help manage disputes between the parents. The parenting coordinator has the authority to resolve custody disagreements outside of the courtroom, and once appointed, the parents must comply with the coordinator's decisions. This requirement for compliance highlights the importance of these decisions and the parenting coordinator's role in conflict resolution.
The overarching goal is to protect children from being caught in the middle of their parents' issues and to ensure their well-being. If one or both parents do not comply with the coordinator’s decisions, the parenting coordinator has the ability to bring the matter back before the judge. While both parents can sometimes be problematic, there are instances where one parent is particularly difficult. In such cases, involving a neutral third party can help prevent one parent from dominating the situation or repeatedly dragging the other parent back to court for trivial or harassing reasons.
Parenting coordinator's are not free (and range in price dependent on the PC) but the fees are usually split between the parents in some manner according to their incomes, as they have agreed, or as the judge so orders. Tiffany Lesnik is specifically trained as a parenting coordinator in North Carolina and is on the appointment list in Wake and surrounding counties. She charges $250.00 per hour. She is also highly experienced trained in the areas of domestic violence and mental health and does not force parents to meet together in these situations. Tiffany also has a background in psychology with a B.A. in psychology and a master's education in clinical psychology before she became a lawyer.
Parent Coordinator's are only appointed in high conflict custody cases. High conflict in this state is defined as where the parties demonstrate an ongoing pattern of any of the following:
​
a. Excessive litigation.
b. Anger and distrust.
c. Verbal abuse.
d. Physical aggression or threats of physical aggression.
e. Difficulty communicating about and cooperating in the care of the minor children.
f. Conditions that in the discretion of the court warrant the appointment of a parenting coordinator.
The authority of the parenting coordinator is limited to the following:
​
1) Identify disputed issues.
2) Reduce misunderstandings.
3) Clarify priorities.
4) Explore possibilities for compromise.
5) Develop methods of collaboration in parenting.
6) Comply with the court's order of custody, visitation, or guardianship.
​