A parent coordinator — or “PC,” for short — fixes family feuds through the power of negotiation, resolving conflicts, disputes, and struggles based on your unique situation. This trained professional settles high-pressure scenarios outside of the courtroom by mending ruptured relationships and repairing broken bonds.
Here’s everything you need to know about working with a PC in Connecticut and how to solve your child custody, child support, or family-related issue.
What is a Connecticut Parent Coordinator?
A parent coordinator is a legal professional who deals with all the issues that stem from divorce, separation, child custody, child support, spousal support, and other high-conflict family-related scenarios.
Sometimes a judge in Connecticut will appoint a parenting coordinator to resolve conflicts, but many parents select a PC as an alternative to court proceedings.
A qualified parent coordinator lets you communicate with your ex-partner more effectively in the following situations:
- Pre-custody litigation
- Post-custody litigation
- Negotiations for spousal support
- Negotiations for child support
- Other family-related issues that you can resolve outside of the courtroom
Working with a coordinator will benefit almost everyone in a high-conflict situation:
- You and your ex-partner can work with a neutral person to resolve complex issues such as child custody and child support.
- Your child doesn’t have to deal with the negative consequences of going through the family court process.
- A coordinator frees up court resources.
Recommended reading: How To Prepare Your Child for Your Divorce
What Does a Connecticut PC Do?
Creates a Parenting Plan
A PC helps you and your ex-partner agree on a parenting plan that includes:
- Visitation rights for you and your ex-partner
- Financial obligations for you and your ex-partner
- Where your child will go to school
- How you and your ex-partner will communicate (and when)
Improves Communication
Communication often breaks down during a divorce or separation. A PC facilitates interaction between you and your ex-partner so you can communicate your needs and concerns effectively.
Gives You More Time to Spend With Your Child
Some cases take months (or even years) to go through the family court. Working with a PC can reduce family law timelines considerably, meaning you have more time to spend with your child.
What are the Benefits of Using a Parenting Coordinator in Connecticut?
Few people realize that working with a PC is an effective alternative to the family court, which can often end up making family-related problems worse. Arguing in front of a judge is stressful for both parents. Plus, the long and laborious legal process can lead to resentment between you and your ex-partner, which could cause irreversible trauma to your child. Working with a PC can also be quicker than the family law process. Condensed capacity in Connecticut courts has caused an enormous backlog of cases similar to yours.
A PC is a legal professional with years of conflict resolution experience and has more time to review your case and listen to both you and your ex-partner. The goal of parental coordination? To allow you and your ex to meet in the middle, putting the interests of your child first. A coordinator stays neutral the whole time, providing expert legal advice that you won’t get from anywhere else. As lawyers, they are bound by Connecticut law, these professionals have completed the required training and certifications to practice in this state.
Recommended reading: Is There Ever a Right Time for Divorce?
When Should You Use a Parenting Coordinator in Connecticut?
In the following scenarios:
- Communication has broken down between you and your ex-partner
- Your ex-partner is making unreasonable demands for separation, divorce, custody, spousal support, or another high-conflict situation
- Your ex-partner wants to take you to court
- You want to resolve your family-related case quickly
When Shouldn’t You Use a Parenting Coordinator in Connecticut?
A parent with a history of violence might not suit parental coordination, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). If you have experienced psychological abuse, violence by coercion or control, or another type of violence or intimidation, an experienced family attorney in Connecticut will provide you with alternative legal options.
Final Word
Although a relatively recent phenomenon in Connecticut, parenting coordinators have become the go-to option for many parents who want to resolve high-conflict issues without going to court. Working with one of these highly qualified professionals provides you with multiple conflict resolution opportunities so you can move on with your life.
Are you looking for a family law attorney in Connecticut? Rich Rochlin Law is the award-winning divorce and family law firm that helps you navigate divorce, separation, custody, child support, and other issues. Call (860) 357-9158 or click here to learn more.
