Co-Parenting Counseling and Parent Coordinators

Divorce is extremely difficult on children. While staying in an unhappy marriage likely causes more harm to the kids than getting a divorce, it is important to remember that the pain and anguish that you are going through likely pales in comparison to what your children are dealing with. Children of divorce suffer academically, emotionally, and even physically according to research and reported by Very Well Family. However, a mother or father can mitigate their children’s difficulties by maintaining a good relationship with the other parent and working together to raise their children with minimal conflict. This is not always easy, and sometimes not possible (particularly when there was abuse in the relationship), but there are a few tools at your disposal that you can use to help get along with the other parent.

Each Parent’s Role in Custody

A parent’s role in a custody hearing is to prove to the court that they have their children’s best interests at heart. Judges do not care about the feelings or wants of a parent; they only have what is in the child’s best interest in mind. Using a co-parenting coordinator or counselor can help you stay out of the courtroom by resolving your issues with the other parent face to face in the absence of a judge. By signing a consent agreement, parents are bound to show up to and participate in co-parenting coordination or counseling sessions.

How Does Co-Parenting Counseling Work?

Co-parenting counseling is designed to help parents resolve conflict, stop arguing, and do what is best for their children. Despite wanting to make life as easy, enjoyable, and as stable as possible for their children, many divorced parents fail at this. The problem often lies in their inability to communicate, work together and make compromises. A co-parenting counselor helps parents accomplish this. If parents end up signing a consent order, the court can require them to show up to a certain number of weekly or monthly sessions, will require that they pick a counselor that they both agree on (or the court picks for them), and these sessions may be confidential.

What is a Co-Parenting Coordinator?

A co-parenting coordinator is generally a psychologist, therapist, or other mental health expert who helps reduce and resolve conflicts between parents regarding their children. Co-parenting coordination is a “non-adversarial dispute resolution process that is court ordered or agreed upon by divorced and separated parents who have an ongoing pattern of high conflict and/or litigation about their children,” under the guidelines set by the American Psychological Association. By utilizing a co-parenting coordinator, you may be able to reduce time in the courtroom, create a better environment for your children, and live a less stressful life yourself by getting along better with your ex-spouse.

Call the San Jose Law Offices of Foster Hsu, LLP Today For Custody and Visitation Assistance

We understand that nothing is more important to you than your children. Our San Jose family attorneys can help you either resolve parenting issues by setting up co-parenting counseling or coordination agreements and avoid the courtroom, or win your custody battle in court if necessary. Call Foster Hsu, LLP at 408-841-7200 to schedule a consultation today.

Resources:

apa.org/practice/guidelines/parenting-coordination

verywellfamily.com/psychological-effects-of-divorce-on-kids-4140170#citation-5

https://www.fosterhsu.com/recent-changes-to-californias-domestic-partnerships-laws/