Parenting Coordination Agreements

Co-parenting with your ex-spouse is a marathon, not a sprint.  A well-written parenting plan is sufficiently detailed that you can simply refer to it whenever there are interruptions to your routine.  What happens if the parenting plan says that the children are with Mom on Labor Day weekend in even-numbered years, but this year, Dad’s parents are in town for Labor Day weekend?  If Mom wants to say, “tough luck,” the law is on her side.  What happens if all of the feasible options for summer camp this year are more expensive than the parents anticipated?  If the parenting plan says that Dad has the final decision about extracurricular activities, then Dad can choose to send the kids to the expensive summer camp, but it is up to him to come up with the extra money.  Alternatively, he can take them to his cousin’s house so his cousin can babysit them in exchange for Dad buying her the occasional grocery haul, even though the kids constantly complain that they are bored.  What happens if your ex refuses to listen to reason or to the parenting plan?  A Boca Raton child custody lawyer can help you resolve co-parenting disputes without another ugly and costly courtroom battle.

Signing a Parenting Coordination Agreement Is Not the Same Thing as Modifying Your Parenting Plan

A parenting plan is a court order, and every couple that divorces while their children are minors gets one.  If your ex does not follow the court-ordered parenting plan, you have the right to go back to court and enforce the parenting plan or to modify it.  Sometimes you do not need to modify the parenting plan; the schedule of each parent’s days of parenting time is fine.  Instead, you just need to add details.

Before the judge issues a new parenting plan or holds one of the parents in contempt for failure to follow the current parenting plan, it will order the parents to engage in alternative dispute resolution.  In the case of disputes over existing parenting plans, the parents meet with a parenting coordinator, whose role is similar to that of a mediator in divorce mediation.  Parenting coordinators are qualified with the courts of your county and must renew their qualifications each year.  If your meetings with the parenting coordinator are successful, you can sign a parenting coordination agreement.  It might indicate the times that the children must call Dad during Mom’s parenting time and the other way around, plus which parent is responsible for paying for the phones.  If your ex does not comply with the parenting coordination agreement, just as your ex did not comply with the original parenting plan, the court can hold your ex in contempt of court.

Contact Schwartz | White About Resolving Co-Parenting Disputes

A South Florida family law attorney can provide legal representation in your dealings with a parenting coordinator and all other legal aspects of co-parenting.  Contact Schwartz | White in Boca Raton, Florida about your case.

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