What Is A Parenting Coordinator In New Jersey?
Parenting is not an easy task, especially when you feel like you cannot agree with your child’s other parent. Simply put, parenting is easier when everyone is on the same page and a thoughtful plan is in place. Qualified parenting mediator, Melissa Cipriano, helps parents negotiate their parenting time and plan as their parenting coordinator.
Helping Parents Create A Parenting Plan That Serves Their Child’s Best Interests
An experienced and well-regarded New Jersey child custody attorney, Melissa Cipriano is in a unique position to act as a parenting coordinator. She draws on substantial courtroom experience to help parents work out parenting issues.
Each of our qualified parenting coordinators are often appointed by New Jersey family law courts. However, parents facing custody matters also seek out the services of our parenting coordinator attorneys, without the direction of the courts. We understand the legal responsibilities and the emotional journey involved in co-parenting. Schedule an appointment with our West Caldwell family law firm to talk about your options. Call our office in West Caldwell at 973-852-3346.
Why Work With A New Jersey Parenting Coordinator?
Parents who work with a parenting coordinator often find the experience extremely beneficial. This is because a parenting coordinator helps you achieve your goals for your child’s care in a way that respects the needs and concerns of both parties. We put your child’s needs first and provide personally tailored plans for issues like child custody and visitation (parenting time), support, logistical issues and more.
When children are involved, parents who are separated or divorced often face conflicts. Parenting disputes may arise in many ways. It can be difficult for parents to communicate freely. New Jersey custody and parenting disputes are governed under what the courts call the best interests of the child. This concept frequently creates its own source of dispute for many parents, as the standards and factors the courts may weigh to evaluate the best interests are not necessarily topics that seem top of mind in the day-to-day lives of parents.
Our experienced parenting coordinators serve as third-party neutrals for parents throughout Northern New Jersey. They draw on substantial family court experience to help facilitate communications and individualized solutions for parents with custody and visitation disputes.
The New Jersey courts always put the best interests of the child first – and so do we. We help you find an optimal situation that protects your child, helps them thrive and accommodates your needs. Our attorneys help families across New Jersey, New York and Florida find ways to thrive when parents live separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are navigating custody or parenting time issues in New Jersey, this section addresses some of the most common questions about parenting coordinators.
What is a parenting coordinator in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, a parenting coordinator is a neutral professional appointed in some family cases to help parents reduce conflict and implement their parenting plan. Parents often hire parenting coordinators, or the court appoints them after a custody or parenting time order is already in place, especially when ongoing disputes make cooperation difficult.
Their role is not to replace the judge or to change the court’s custody order on their own; instead, they help parents work through disagreements and improve communication.
Does a New Jersey court have to appoint a parenting coordinator?
No, a New Jersey court does not have to appoint a parenting coordinator in every case. Appointments are typically discretionary, not mandatory. The court may decide a parenting coordinator is appropriate when the parents have persistent conflict and repeated disputes that are interfering with the children’s routine or the effective use of a custody order.
Either parent may hire a neutral professional for their case. In certain family law cases, the court has the authority to appoint someone if it deems it essential for executing the established parenting agreement.
What types of co-parenting disputes can a parenting coordinator help resolve?
A parenting coordinator can help with many co-parenting disputes, especially those involving routine or recurring issues that do not require a full court hearing. These include disagreements about parenting time exchanges, holiday and vacation schedules, communication between the parents, transportation arrangements, extracurricular activities and the interpretation or implementation of existing court orders.
They may also help reduce conflict about decisions that affect the child’s daily life, so long as the dispute falls within the parenting plan and the coordinator’s role. However, if the dispute involves a substantial legal change or a serious issue that cannot be resolved informally, a judge must review the matter.
Experienced New Jersey Parenting And Child Custody Legal Resources For Your Family
Families who work with Cipriano Law Offices, P.C., consistently receive excellent services that they trust. Our full-service family law firm prides itself on excellent legal resources and stellar personalized care. Schedule an appointment today. We offer free initial consultations to allow you to understand the benefits of working with a compassionate, knowledgeable parenting coordinator. Call 973-852-3346 or send us a message online to get started in amicably resolving your New Jersey parenting time and child custody disputes.