Solutions

The bigger the undertaking, the trickier it is.

Syrus Maximus

Maridell Templeton
Parenting Coordinator
P.O. Box 38185
Dallas, TX 75238-0185
214-343-6274

Need to Resolve a Family Conflict?

Parents who are not together may desire to learn to parent together for the best interests of their children. Also, in high-conflict situations, parenting issues arise with greater frequency and continue to bring parents back to court for resolution. Court appearances are time consuming, costly and damaging to your children as well as distressing to you.

An alternative is working with a parenting coordinator, a neutral person who can work with parents in dispute on matters concerning their children. The parenting coordinator can help families solve problems in a timely fashion and at a cost that is almost always less than that of going to court. Working with a parenting coordinator is certainly less stressful than making a court appearance.

The purpose of parenting coordination is assisting parties in resolving issues related to parenting or other family issues. The role of the parenting coordinator is to help parents come to a successful resolution. The parenting coordinator is authorized to aid the parties in:

Identifying disputed issues;
Reducing misunderstandings;
Clarifying priorities;
Exploring possibilities for problem solving;
Developing methods of collaboration in parenting; and
Insuring that the court's order regarding conservatorship or possession and access to the children is complied with.

The general responsibilities of the parenting coordinator are:

To assist the parties and the children to promote the children's rights of access to both parents; and
To protect the children's best interest in general.

The parenting coordinator is entitled to communicate with parents, children, health care providers, psychological providers and any other third parties deemed necessary by the parenting coordinator.

Working with a Parenting Coordinator

The parties will execute any authorization that enable the parenting coordinator to obtain information about the children and/or the parties. All the pertinent data also needs to be provided to the parenting coordinator.

Costs are generally divided equally between the parties. However, in the event either party provides extra data or takes extra time, the max time spent reviewing that data or extra time will be allocated to that party.

The parenting coordinator's services will consist of the conferences, telephone conferences, travel, investigative work, research, review of material received from all sources, incidental correspondence, and other documents that may be necessary for the parenting coordination.