Custody cases in Oklahoma can be messy long after the divorce itself is final. That is because visitation, custody, and child support continue to be ongoing issues until the child or children of the marriage reach the age of majority. Therefore, parenting coordinators in Okmulgee can be helpful to divorcing couples.
When Can Parenting Coordinators Help?
They are required in high-conflict cases where parents cannot communicate effectively to resolve and manage issues around child custody and visitation. Sometimes, parenting coordinators can help even when both parents still get along. Your Okmulgee child custody attorney can give you more information about parenting coordinators and how to best work with them.
Parenting Coordinators In Okmulgee Help Resolve Minor Relevant Issues
Judges hate having their time wasted. While all issues between divorced or divorcing spouses that concern the kids must be resolved, some of these are issues are small. All these issues can be brought to a judge for resolution.
However, resolution of most matters before the judge requires a noticed motion, the opportunity for the other side to object, attorneys’ fees, and time. Also, it can take a long time to get even simple matters resolved.
When a parenting coordinator is appointed, a matter can often be resolved quickly. For example, via texts and emails between the parents and the coordinator. Also, the cost is relatively minimal.
What Can A Parenting Coordinator Resolve?
You may wonder what sorts of issues to bring before a parenting coordinator. However, it is important to understand a parenting coordinator’s scope and limitations.
Parenting coordinators cannot resolve matters such as child custody and support. These are issues for the judge.
However, parenting coordinators can handle smaller matters such as visitation, changes in schedule, and many smaller in-home matters that affect the child and the other parent.
Visitation Issues
Visitation issues are usually brought to parenting coordinators for resolution. These issues vary from one-time changes in visitation to more permanent changes in visitation.
An example of a permanent visitation issue that is appropriate for a parenting coordinator to resolve might be the visitation exchange location used by parents. Often, the point of exchange is a halfway point between the homes of both parents. However, parents may move and what was once a convenient halfway point is no longer so convenient.
Another matter that is often brought before a parenting coordinator concerns the extracurricular activities of the child. Often, what is best for the child must be weighed against the inconvenience to the parent.
Adding extracurricular activities that infringe upon the time that the other parent spends visiting can detract from that parent’s visitation rights and can make visitation more difficult. When parents can resolve this issue with a parenting coordinator, it can make a potentially sticky issue more manageable.
Communication Issues
Most often, parenting coordinators are appointed by the court in high-conflict cases. In these cases, communication between the parents is always an issue.
For example, one parent can no longer contact the other parent. The phone number or email address may have changed.
Perhaps the parents are not able to communicate in constructive ways without expressing overt anger and hostility. Any of these communication issues are appropriate for a parenting coordinator.
For example, all communication should be made by email in some cases. Or any email or phone number changes need to be communicated to the parenting coordinator and the other parent in a timely fashion.
Sharing Information Regarding The Child
Sometimes, parents forget to share relevant information regarding their child. Most of the time this is an omission, but sometimes parents can withhold information that is vital for the other parent to know.
Examples of these kinds of things include school records, notices of parent-teacher conferences, medical records, mental health records, and the like. These pockets of information are necessary for parents to keep abreast of what is going on with their children. A parenting coordinator can ensure such information is shared in a timely fashion.
Relevant Issues Regarding Parental Relationships
As one relationship ends, parents often begin to move on to other adult relationships. This area is fraught with potentially relevant issues.
Exposing a child to a sexual relationship with another adult prematurely can be an area of concern for the other parent. Asking a child to call a boyfriend or girlfriend dad or mom can be another area of potential concern.
These issues are ripe for intervention by a parenting coordinator. A parenting coordinator can set some boundaries that are appropriate for the child and still allow parents to maintain adult relationships.
Parenting coordinators can make a huge difference in many relevant areas pertaining to children. If you have questions about how to work effectively with your parenting coordinator, do not hesitate to bring your questions and concerns to your Okmulgee divorce attorney. Your attorney can help you understand what issues may be resolved by a parenting coordinator.
Low-cost Consultation With An Okmulgee Attorney
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