San Jose Parent Coordinator

San Jose Parent Coordinator Attorney

Child custody disputes are often some of the most emotionally charged legal cases and can be frustrating for parents and stressful for children. Family courts are busy, and constant court dates can mean a lot of waiting and uncertainty. Parent coordination lets parents work out custody without going to court. Tracy Duell-Cazes is a San Jose parent coordinator and attorney at TDC Family Law with the experience to guide your family through custody decisions.

TDC Family Law founder Tracy Duell-Cazes is in her 35th year as a family lawyer, is certified as a family law specialist by the California Board of Legal Specialization, and has been rated as one of the top attorneys in Northern California by Super Lawyers every year since 2009. Tracy takes time with each client to fully understand their situation and helps them determine which options are right for their family.

Parent Coordination Explained

Parent coordination is an alternative dispute resolution process similar to mediation that allows parents to work together to resolve custody concerns outside of the courtroom. Parent coordinators (PCs) are legal or mental health professionals with training in creating parenting plans and resolving conflicts. Unlike a judge, who can make determinations based solely on their own perspective, the PC ensures parents are involved in the final decisions.

While PCs are usually not able to make substantial modifications to custody orders on their own, they can help parents work out the details of how they will split the responsibilities of caring for their child. Some examples of the decisions PCs can help negotiate include:

• Pickup and drop off arrangements
• Vacation and holiday time
• Child care and babysitting
• Daily care decisions like bedtime, diet, clothing, and discipline
• Before-school and afterschool activities
• Sports and other extracurriculars
• Medical care
• Visitation, including extended family and parents’ partners
• Contact over the phone or video calls
• School and tutoring

How Parenting Coordination Works

Parents in California have the option of working with a PC, usually by a formal court order. When the parents or family court decide parenting coordination is the right choice for them, a judge will create a court order. The parents then meet with the PC to work through their differences, and a judge will sign off on the final agreement.

Who Should Use Parenting Coordination

Generally, parenting coordination is used in cases where there is a high degree of conflict between the parents regarding the parenting plan. If the parents want to request a PC, they or their attorneys can submit a form called a stipulation to the family court. If the court agrees it’s a good option for the family’s situation, the presiding judge will sign the stipulation.

Judges may also appoint a PC if they determine that parenting coordination is in the child’s best interests, such as in cases when:

• A parent violates the child custody order
• There have been a lot of court dates for a case
• Verbal abuse, aggression, or threats are present
• There is poor cooperation in the child’s care
• Parents need guidance to create, modify, or implement a parenting plan
• There is difficulty with communication regarding the child
• Major disagreements about important issues are raised
• Issues like domestic violence or substance abuse are present

If parents can’t come to an agreement through this process, a judge will make final determinations regarding the parenting plan and child custody.

What a Parent Coordinator Does

A PC’s main job is to act as a neutral third party to facilitate conflict resolution related to child custody and visitation and keep the focus on the child’s best interests. PCs generally do not handle child support but instead handle the issues surrounding the child’s education and medical care, who the child lives with, how and when they see each parent, and other matters relevant to how the child is raised and cared for.

PCs are licensed and receive extensive training in the parenting coordination process, which includes training in:

• Parenting coordination techniques and methods
• Court-specific procedures
• Family law by location
• Family mediation
• Arbitration
• Family dynamics
• Child development
• Domestic violence
• Child abuse and neglect
• Ethical considerations
• Diversity
• Co-parenting
• Technology

In addition, PCs take professional development courses to continue their education and maintain a standard of professional ethics similar to what legal and mental healthcare professionals use.

What to Expect

In San Jose, CA, the parenting coordination process involves meeting with the PC individually and sometimes jointly to discuss the parenting plan, and regular communication via phone, email, and other methods. The PC may interview the parents and child and make suggestions based on the goals, the child’s best interests, and family law. In some cases, the PC may be able to make minor decisions on their own.

Benefits of Working with a Parent Coordinator

In contentious custody cases, a judge will make the final decision about the custody and visitation, and this can sometimes mean neither parent is happy with the parenting plan. Like mediation, parent coordination gives parents control over where they are willing to compromise, rather than having the court determine terms. There are many other benefits to working with a PC as well.

• Guidance. Having an unbiased professional to guide you through each decision relating to your parenting plan can alleviate the anxiety that comes from arguing with a difficult co-parent and encourages both parents to set aside any hard feelings.
• Avoid court cates. Custody cases often mean frequent trips to court over decisions regarding the child’s best interests. Parenting coordination can bring parents together in less stressful surroundings and encourage them to cooperate through constructive discussions.
• Faster outcomes. Family courts are busy, and having to go to court means having to wait for a court date each time. Because the parent coordination process allows parents to resolve differences without going to court, it often means coming to agreements more quickly.

Parenting Coordination With Experience

At TDC Family Law, we know that the knowledge, skills, and resources of your PC can be pivotal in the outcome of your custody agreement. Our San Jose parent coordinator, Tracy Duell-Cazes, can put her extensive family law experience to use for you and your family. Contact TDC Family Law today to discuss whether parenting coordination is the right choice for you.