Many Georgia families struggle with the stress and conflict involved in a separation or divorce. Oftentimes, the children are most adversely affected by this major life change. According to the State Bar Association of Georgia, approximately 20-30% of divorcing or separating parents have high conflict behaviors, which result in poor adjustment of their children. These behaviors can have negative long-lasting impact on the children as well as the health and wellbeing of the entire family.

In an effort to lessen the negative impact on children of divorcing or separating parents, Georgia has established a third-party representative, known as a “parenting coordinator.” A parenting coordinator works closely with the family under the authority given to them by the courts. Their aim is to focus on the best interests of the child, while resolving conflict and minimizing the high stress that children can experience when their parents separate or divorce.

The role of a parenting coordinator

A parenting coordinator is usually a family lawyer or a mental health professional trained to provide coordination services during high conflict divorces or separations. The services of a parenting coordinator can either be ordered by the court or voluntary. A parenting coordinator can be utilized during different stages of a divorce or separation and can be a useful tool when mediation is inappropriate or ineffective due to parental strife. Parenting coordinators can be empowered by the courts to make temporary decisions regarding custody and visitation, as long as those decisions are consistent with the family court’s order.

Parent coordination goals

According to the Georgia State Bar Association, the goals of parenting coordination during a divorce or separation are:

• Protecting the child from conflict
• Allowing the child to maintain love and respect for both parents
• Minimizing the child’s stress
• Improving the effectiveness of the co-parent relationship
• Maximizing parental cooperation and respect
• Developing effective communication skills
• Monitoring attempts at alienation
• Mediating or clarifying an existing parenting plan
• Reducing the risk of future litigation
• Supervising parental behaviors and compliance with court orders
• Reporting non-compliance to appropriate officials
• Referring those involved for necessary services
• Providing testimony for the children, if necessary

Certified parenting coordinator services for Gwinnett County, Georgia

Adam Stein, Esq. is a family lawyer and certified parenting coordinator. The Law Offices of Adam Stein, located in Lawrenceville, Georgia, proudly provides family law services to residents of Gwinnett County. For a free initial consultation, please visit our website at www.family-lawyer.biz or contact us by telephone at (770) 822-1985.

When it comes to family law, conflict is almost unavoidable. Even in the best of cases, emotions will run high, which can make it difficult to resolve all the different issues that need to be settled during a separation, divorce, custody dispute, or just about anything else. When most people think of family law, they picture going to court with an attorney to argue their case in front of a judge. While that is certainly necessary sometimes, most cases can actually be solved using alternative dispute resolution techniques.

These techniques are far faster and more effective, which makes them more affordable for the parties involved. Learning about the different alternative dispute resolution options available will help ensure your case is handled in the best way possible.

Collaborative Law

Collaborative law provides a structured environment where two parties (typically spouses, or ex-spouses) and their attorneys can work together to resolve a dispute. Rather than battling it out in court, everyone works together in an attempt to come to a solution that everyone can live with. Collaborative law is most often used in uncontested divorces, though it can also be effective in contested divorces if both parties can be reasonable.

Mediation

Mediation brings in a third party (the mediator) to help resolve conflicts. Unlike other dispute resolution, this one relies on the fact that the mediator is unbiased. They are also trained to help deescalate emotional issues, and help people to remain focused on coming to a mutually beneficial agreement. The benefits include that this is a confidential process so family secrets or other issues won’t end up on the public record of the courts, it is voluntary, and it helps keep all the control in the hands of the people having the conflict.

Arbitration

Arbitration is similar in many ways to mediation, but the arbitrator is empowered by the courts to make binding decisions on the parties involved. This process is often compared to a court hearing, with the exception being that it is not a public setting and rather than having a judge, there is the arbitrator. Another difference is that the arbitration process is much faster, with fewer delays than are often found in a courtroom. This is a great option for times when finding agreements can be difficult, but both parties want to get through their case as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Cooperative Parenting

Cooperative parenting, or co-parenting, is a process where both parents work hard to ensure they are always putting the children first. This starts by creating a parenting plan that allows each parent to spend as much time with the children as possible, and addresses situations where potential conflict could arise (such as holidays) ahead of time. Cooperative parenting is more than just ‘doing your best’ to put the kids first, it is taking concrete steps, typically with the help of your attorney, to make sure you have minimized conflict that could impact your children.

Contact Us

If you would like to learn more about alternative dispute resolution techniques, and how they can help you and your family, please don’t hesitate to contact The Law Offices of Adam Stein. We will be happy to discuss all your options, and work with you to determine which one is best for your situation.