Parenting CoordinatorsMay 2008
1)Does your state use parenting coordinators, and if so, the court policy, court rule or state statute governing the program,
2)The name of program and contact information for the program,
3)Whether the program is a statewide program, a local program, or a limited test or pilot program,
4)Funding source of the program,
5)Who pay for the service if one or both of the parties are indigent?
State / Respondent / ResponsesAlaska / Karen Largent on behalf of Stephanie Cole / We do not have a parenting coordinator program, however the administrative director for our court system thought you might also have interest in some of our other programs in domestic relations cases. Primarily we offer mediation and visitation facilitation. If information about these program would be of interest, please do not hesitate to contact me and I’d be happy to provide!
Karen Largent
Alaska Court System
Dispute Resolution Coordinator
Room 235 SnowdenAdministrationBuilding
820 West Fourth Avenue
Anchorage, AK99501
907-264-8236 phone
907-264-8291 fax
Arizona / Phil Knox
Superior Court of Arizona in MaricopaCounty / 1. Does your state use parenting coordinators, and if so, the court policy, court rule or state statute governing the program,Yes. Parent Coordinators are provided for in Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure, Rule 74. Body of text can be found at the following cite:
2.The name of program and contact information for the program,
A. Determination of Need for Parenting Coordinator and Appointment.
“…Parents may agree to use a Parenting Coordinator and agree to a specific person, subject to
approval by the court, or the court may make the choice of the person to serve as the Parenting
Coordinator.”
There is no designated program. Should you require additional information about the administration of this rule, contact Mary Lou Strehle, Family Court Administrator,
3.Whether the program is a statewide program, a local program, or a limited test or pilot program,
L. Applicability. No county is required to employ or utilize Parenting Coordinators;however, in the event a county elects to use Parenting Coordinators, these rules shall apply.
4.Funding source of the program,
D. Fees. The court will determine the fees for the services of a Parenting Coordinator and
the allocation of fees between the parties. The court may order that the parents pay the Parenting Coordinator a retainer before the Parenting Coordinator begins work with a family. If permitted by the Order of Appointment, the Parenting Coordinator may recommend to the court an adjustment in the division of payment under special circumstances.
5. Who pays for the service if one or both of the parties are indigent?
There is no funding available to pay for this service through MaricopaCounty. If the parties are indigent, the option to appoint a Parent Coordinator is not available to the Court.
Delaware / Stephanie Symons on behalf of Patricia Griffin / Use of Parenting Coordinators in Delaware
Delaware has a very small parenting coordinator pilot program that operates only in New CastleCounty. The pilot program is a joint effort of the Family Court of the State of Delaware and private attorneys who are currently providing services on a pro bono basis. The contact person for the program is Andrea Shaffer (), Director of Special Court Services, Family Court of the State of Delaware.
Florida / Linda McNeill (Answers provided by Judge Hugh Starnes) / 1.Does your state use parenting coordinators, and if so, the court policy, court rule or state statute governing the program,
Parent Coordination is used extensively in Florida. The method of use varies around the State. Some use staff or contract professionals and the service is paid by the Court, some use strictly private professionals, and some have Administrative Orders governing the use and establishing the minimum educational and training requirement. Our Supreme Court has endorsed a form of Administrative Order and an order for appointment in the individual case. These can be viewed on the following website: on "Parenting Coordination" on the left side of the home page. That source also has information as to a statute that passed the legislature overwhelmingly, but was vetoed by the Governor. FLAFCC facilitated an interdisciplinary task force that proposed the legislation. We believe the statute and the order forms have most of the provisions that need to be considered in this area. The issue of the Judge ordering the PC process without the consent of both parties is the most difficult to obtain a consensus on, and the practice varies around the State on that. Legal Aide and DV advocates argue it should require consent of both parties, Court neutrals are more prone to allow the Court to order PC even if one or both parties disagree.
2.The name of program and contact information for the program,
The best contact is Linda Fieldstone,. Linda headed our FLAFCC Task Force, and was a part of the AFCC national effort as well.
Another contact is Dr. Debra Carter, oth she and Linda Fieldstone do extensive training in PC.
5.Who pays for the service if one or both of the parties are indigent?"Paragraphs 3 – 5, are covered in para. #1. Some programs pay, and some private providers will donate some pro bono time. This work is so difficult, however, that you can’t expect any one provider to regularly donate their time. Were public funding is available, it normally is through the County, so it is at the mercy and willingness of the local government and the Court’s relationship with the County. In one Court (Sarasota, Florida) a private donor made a gift to allow some professional services, I believe. That is Dr. Carter’s area.
Idaho / Viki Howard on behalf of Patti Tobias
Children & Families in the Courts Coordinator
(208) 830-4329
P.O. Box 9273
Boise, ID83707
/ I am the Statewide Coordinator for Children and Families in the Courts in Idaho.Idaho has a statewide parenting coordinator program. The state statute is attached and links to the Idaho Rules of Civil Procedure for the Appointment of a Parenting Coordinator and Application for Appointment are below.Idaho has not designated funding to this program and so it is not available to low income or indigent families. I believe this answers most of Ms. Holewa’s questions and if not, I am available to answer further questions.
16(l). Appointment of Parenting Coordinator in Child Custody and Visitation Disputes.
Indiana / Lilia Judson / Indiana does not have a “parenting coordinator” program.
Kentucky / Pauline Roberts
Office for Judicial Branch Education
Adm. Office of the Courts
100 Millcreek Park, Bldg 12
Frankfort, KY 40601
502-573-2350 (ext. 2165)
Fax: 502-573-1663
/ 1.Does your state use parenting coordinators, and if so, the court policy, court rule orstate statute governing the program?
Yes, but not all counties in Kentuckyutilize or have trained parenting coordinators. Kentucky has no statute regarding parenting coordinators.
I've taken the liberty oflisting two of oururban areas below:
In Jefferson County, Louisville, Kentucky they are authorized by Family Court Local Rules (JFRP 707, pp 85-86) to use the services of a Parenting Coordinator (PC). The PC is assigned by the Court to assist high-conflict families. The issues are often parenting issues rather then legal issues. The parties may make a contract (which becomes an Agreed Order) with the PCthat the Coordinator decides what is best for the children.
FayetteCounty, Lexington, Kentucky Family Court also authorizes the services of a Parenting Coordinator. In some cases, attorneysconvince their clients to use aPCvoluntarily, other times it requires a"court order." Howeverthe PC isappointed, they have the authority to take over many of the daily child-rearing decisions parents are unable to agree on.
2.The name of program and contact information for the program?
Louisville, Kentucky refers to their program asthe "Parenting Coordinator Program"
OtherParenting Coordinators attend thePC training and thenmake their services knownto the courts and Family Law attorneys.
3.Whether the program is a statewide program, a local program, or a limited test orpilot program?
Not all counties in Kentuckyutilize parenting coordinators or include within their local rules.
In JeffersonCounty, Louisville, Kentucky, their program started as a pilot project for Family Court. The program was initiated with the assistance of a Development Committee comprised of attorneys, psychologists, social workers, and Guardians Ad Litem. The mission statement for the Parenting Coordinator Program is "to facilitate parents in making and implementing joint decisions in the best interest of their children and, when necessary, to make decisions (with the exception of custody) on behalf of families." The program now has a Parenting Coordinator Advisory Committee.
4. Funding source of the program?see #3
5.Who pays for the service if one or both of the parties areindigent?
"The servicefor a Parenting Coordinator can get expensive, with coordinators typically charging anywhere from about $50.00 to $350.00 an hour. Parents typically share the cost either by agreed order or by court order. Sliding fee scales are recommended.
*NOTE: As of August 2006, 17 states had some sort of formal parent coordinator program, according to a survey by Barbara Ann Bartlett, a family lawyer in Tulsa, Okla. Eight of those states - Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas - have parenting coordination statutes that specify the procedures for appointing parenting coordinators and spell out their responsibilities.
"Parent coordinators help divorced couples who won't stop fighting" By Tooher, Nora Lockwood Publication: Lawyers USA Date: Monday, November 20, 2006
Please feel free to visit the Kentucky Court of Justice divorce education website links at:
Also, we invite you to read the article "One Size Doesn't Fit All: A Guide for Assigning Divorced Families to Appropriate Program" published in the NASJE News Quarterly.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Thanks,
Pauline
Divorce Education Specialist/Program Coordinator
Families In Transition Administrator
Maryland / Pamela Ortiz on behalf of Frank Broccolina
Pamela Cardullo Ortiz
Executive Director,
Family Administration
Administrative Office of the Courts
580 Taylor Avenue, 2nd floor
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
phone: 410-260-1580
Fax: 410-974-5577
/ 1. Parenting coordinators are beginning to be used in Maryland courts. We recently codified something of a statewide policy on parenting coordinators in draft rule. A copy of the rule is attached. Please keep in mind that this is the work product of a Judiciary-wide subcommittee which has yet to be completely reviewed and/or adopted. It will be reviewed by our statewide Committee on Family Law after which it will be further vetted, and if acceptable, forwarded to our Rules Committee and Court of Appeals for possible adoption as a court rule. Judges, parent coordinators, attorneys and court personnel participated in developing the draft rule which I attach.
2. Our department's deputy director, Connie Kratovil-Lavelle, or I, can be a point of contact for further information on the statewide use of parenting coordinators. Her contact information is the same as mine, below, and her email address is . We can also provide contact persons for specific jurisdictions if necessary.
3. Several circuit courts have parenting coordinator programs. Our effort in developing the rule was to support the practice statewide and ensure all our courts had the requisite authority to appoint parenting coordinators.
4 and 5. Funding source: In most instances I believe the parties are
covering the costs of the parent coordinator, when ordered. We require our courts to provide a fee waiver for court ordered services when litigants meet certain income eligibility requirements. We encourage courts to budget for fee waivers (since courts then have to pay for those services in most instances) and those funds are provided through grants our office makes to each court to support their family division or family services program. Those grants are derived from state funds.
Michigan / Frances Goff / 1. Does your state use parenting coordinators, and if so, the court policy, court rule or state statute governing the program,
Answer: The Michigan State Court Administrative Office has just recently begun to study emerging parenting coordinator practices in the state. Approximately five larger jurisdictions have some level of parenting coordinator practice. Currently, there are no statutes or court rules governing this area, with the possible exception of a domestic relations arbitration statute (MCL 600.5070) that permits parties to stipulate to an arbitrator to decide any aspect of their divorce. Under this statute, only attorneys can serve as arbitrators, however, leading a number of non-attorney parenting coordinators, e.g., psychotherapists, to pair up with attorneys in their order of appointment. There appears to be increasing interest among parenting coordinators in having some level of regulation in place, for example to establish qualification, training, and appointment criteria.
2. The name of program and contact information for the program,
Answer: Parenting coordinators are selected by the parties with no role of the court other than to sign orders of appointment. One notable exception is that in one county, a court family division staff person serves as the parenting coordinator. In that case, the "decisions" of the coordinator are advisory only, but may lead to a recommendation to other court staff and the judge that can be adopted as an order. Because courts have limited involvement with the practice and because there are no "programs" per se , we do not have local court contacts. The staff member in our office looking into this service is Doug Van Epps, Director, Office of Dispute Resolution. He can be reached at 517/373-4840, or via Email:
3. Whether the program is a statewide program, a local program, or a limited test or pilot program,
Answer: Michigan does not have formalized programs as yet. Services have evolved locally wholly on the inspiration and enthusiasm of local attorneys and counselors/therapists.
4. Funding source of the program,
Answer: The arrangement of payment is provided for in the order of appointment. Typically parties equally split the cost.
5. Who pays for the service if one or both of the parties are indigent?”
Answer: Thus far, the intervention is used chiefly in high conflict divorces where parties can afford to pay the parenting coordinator. An exception is the one court that utilizes a staff person for persons who cannot otherwise afford a private parenting coordinator.
Minnesota / Mark Toogood /
- 1. Does your state use parenting coordinators, and if so, the court policy, court rule or state statute governing the program,
M.S. 518.1751 defines the role and authority of the Parenting Time Expeditor, which is considered a court-appointed neutral using “mediation/arbitration” to facilitate resolution of parenting time disputes. As a neutral, the PTE’s do fall under MN Rules of Court Procedure, 114, that govern Alternative Dispute Resolution of every kind.
2.The name of program and contact information for the program,
There is no ‘program’ per se. Expeditors are provided by the private market, typically members of the family bar or therapeutic community. Court administration usually has a local list of private professionals—including mediators, custody evaluators, and parenting time expeditors. Parenting time expediting is governed by Rule 114 on ADR, and thus complaints are received and investigated by the court-appointed ADR Board of the Minnesota Supreme Court.
3.Whether the program is a statewide program, a local program, or a limited test or pilot program,
There is no ‘program’ per se.
4.Funding source of the program,
There is no public funding of this service.
5.Who pays for the service if one or both of the parties are indigent?”
If the parties are indigent they either do not get the service or they may get a ‘reduced fee’ service by those PTE’s that voluntarily offer reduced rates.
Missouri / Norma Rahm
Family Court Program Manager
Court Programs and Research
Office of State Courts Administrator
(573)526-8854
/ 1. Does your state use parenting coordinators, and if so, the court
policy, court rule or state statute governing the program,
There is no statewide program. Legislation was introduced this year, but it is not likely to pass.
There is a project underway in Circuit 25, as part of a 3 year Unified Family Court Project. Unknown if any other courts are utilizing Parenting Coordinators.
2. The name of program and contact information for the program,
Contact Information: Circuit 25, Judge Ralph Haslag, Associate Circuit Judge, PhelpsCounty, Phone 573-458-6230
3. Whether the program is a statewide program, a local program, or a
limited test or pilot program,
See Q. 1 This program is just getting underway.
4. Funding source of the program,
Through Grant funding from Office of State Courts Administrator for the Supreme Court's Family Court Committee's Unified Family Court Project
5. Who pays for the service if one or both of the parties are
indigent?”
See Q.4
Nebraska / Debora Brownyard / Nebraska does not have parenting coordinators at this time.
Ohio / Jo Ellen Cline on behalf of Steve Hollon / 1.Does your state use parenting coordinators, and if so, the court policy, court rule or state statute governing the program,
Ohio has used parenting coordinators but they are done through local court rules. You can view one such rule online at
2.The name of program and contact information for the program,
You could contact Magistrate Dick Altman or Judge Denise McColley, Henry County Domestic Relations/Juvenile Court [419-599-5951]
3.Whether the program is a statewide program, a local program, or a limited test or pilot program,
The program above covers 3 counties and has been in use for 6-7 years. The trend is growing in Ohio but not universally used.
4.Funding source of the program,
The parent coordinator is funded by a combination of county general funds and court costs.
5.Who pays for the service if one or both of the parties areindigent?”
Courts find various ways to pay for the service if the parties are indigent. The program above used mediation department funds at one time but recently stopped that practice.