What Is A Parenting Coordinator In Okmulgee?

If you are new to the divorce process with children in Oklahoma, you may not have heard about parenting coordinators before. But if you and your spouse have children and are involved (or will be involved) in a divorce, you will likely have to work with a parenting coordinator in Okmulgee. Your divorce attorney can help you understand how best to work with work together a parenting coordinator to make your divorce proceed as smoothly as possible.

What Is A Parenting Coordinator in Okmulgee?

A parenting coordinator in Okmulgee is a neutral third party. The parenting coordinator is appointed by a family law judge to help parents resolve communication issues between them and to help enforce the court’s orders. A parenting coordinator can make things run more smoothly between the parents at a time when parents are stressed. This usually results in more communication, which makes things better for the children involved.

How And When Are Parenting Coordinators Appointed?

Often, both parties are in agreement with regard to the appointment of a parenting coordinator. In that case, the court will usually appoint a parenting coordinator. However, the court may assign a parenting coordinator at its discretion.

What happens when one parent is in agreement with the appointment and the other is not? In that case, certain standards have to be met with regard to the appointment. When one of the parents is in disagreement over the appointment of a parenting coordinator, it must be shown that the appointment is in the best interests of the children involved and the divorce is one of high conflict.

In high-conflict cases, there is usually ongoing litigation; ongoing trust issues between the parties; physical or verbal abuse; aggression; or threats. In all these cases, communication and cooperation with regard to the care of the children can be difficult between the parents. Often, this warrants the appointment of a parenting coordinator.

The Parenting Coordinator’s Role

It can be difficult for parents who are embroiled in a contentious divorce to remember, but parenting coordinators are meant to be neutral. They cannot take sides between the parents.

What they can do is to help parents with recommendations and communication on specified issues. They can help a couple explore possibilities for compromise in difficult situations and are often instrumental in helping divorcing parents develop methods of collaboration in their parenting.

A parenting coordinator can help with smaller issues such as a one-time change in planned visitation. One parent may request the change and the other parent is non-responsive to the request.

Often, rather than waiting months for a court hearing on a one-time visitation change, a parenting coordinator can step in and help parents resolve the issue. This may come in the form of a recommendation from the parenting coordinator or it may come as a decision from the parenting coordinator.

Parenting Coordinators And Decisions

If a parenting coordinator is actually making a decision, the decision has to be drafted and filed with the court within 20 days. Copies must be given to the parties involved. Either party may object within 10 days. The other party has another 10 days to file a response before it goes to the judge.

However, these decisions are operative at the time that the parenting coordinator makes them. The parenting coordinator’s decision must pertain to something that is temporary in nature. Any recommendation made by a parenting coordinator must be signed off on by the judge. It is not operative until it is approved by the judge.

In either case, you can get decisions from either recommendations or a direct decision. These go to the judge get a determination much more quickly than you can by waiting for a trial and a ruling. Your Okmulgee divorce attorney can help you understand how best to work effectively with your parenting coordinator.

Advantages Of A Parenting Coordinator

Parenting coordinators are somewhat limited in their role. They may not make major decisions such as custody. But they are an excellent tool to be used in smaller issues between parents. In fact, a parenting coordinator can often make the whole custody and visitation schedule run more smoothly between parents.

Matters can be resolved quickly and inexpensively when a parenting coordinator is involved. With the advent of COVID-19, email is often used to obtain resolution quickly. The parenting coordinator can coordinate with both parents quickly and easily through email.

It can be helpful when a good parenting coordinator is appointed. If you have questions or concerns with regard to the appointment of a parenting coordinator or are already in a relationship with a parenting coordinator, please do not hesitate to bring your questions or concerns to an experienced Okmulgee family law attorney.