Parenting Coordination

Parenting coordination is a specialized form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) used in high-conflict custody cases to help parents carry out an existing custody order. When parents repeatedly clash over day-to-day issues like exchanges, holidays, or extracurricular activities, parenting coordination provides a structured, child-focused way to resolve those disputes without returning to court for every disagreement.

At Feinman & Childs Family Law, parenting coordination is part of our broader commitment to family-centric representation. It is designed to manage conflict, support co-parenting, and keep children out of the middle while preserving the court’s role in making major custody decisions.

Why Choose Feinman & Childs for Parenting Coordination

Our attorneys have extensive experience with complex custody matters and high-conflict parenting disputes. Parenting coordination fits naturally within that work.

Partner
Lindsay H. Childs:

Has completed the training required to serve as a Parenting Coordinator in Pennsylvania

Is qualified and experienced in parenting coordination, family mediation, and child-focused dispute resolution

Practices exclusively in family law, including custody, support, and related issues

When you work with Feinman & Childs, whether Ms. Childs is appointed as the Parenting Coordinator or you retain our firm as your counsel during parenting coordination, you receive guidance that is:

Child-centered
Grounded in Pennsylvania custody law and rules
Integrated with your overall custody and family law strategy

What Is Parenting Coordination in Pennsylvania?

Parenting coordination is a court-connected process used after a final custody order has been entered. A neutral Parenting Coordinator is appointed to help parents implement the order and address recurring disputes that are too narrow for a full custody modification, but too disruptive to ignore.

Parenting coordination is typically used in cases where:

There is a final custody order in place, and
Parents have repeated, ongoing conflict about how to follow that order

The Parenting Coordinator’s role is to help parents resolve specific, day-to-day questions within the boundaries of the existing court order, not to rewrite the order or make major custody decisions.

What a Parenting Coordinator Can and Cannot Do

Parenting coordination has a limited, carefully defined scope.

Issues a Parenting Coordinator May Address

A Parenting Coordinator may help parents resolve disputes such as:

Details of pick-up and drop-off (time, place, transportation)
Holiday, vacation, and school break logistics within the existing schedule
Participation in extracurricular activities, lessons, and events
Childcare arrangements and temporary schedule adjustments
Other routine, day-to-day issues that arise while following the custody order

The Parenting Coordinator first tries to help parents reach an agreement. When agreement is not possible, the Parenting Coordinator may make a decision or recommendation on the specific issue, subject to court review and objection procedures.

Issues a Parenting Coordinator May Not Decide

A Parenting Coordinator cannot:

Change who has legal custody or primary physical custody
Decide whether a parent may relocate with the child
Make major decisions about a child’s education, health care, or religion
Rewrite the underlying custody order
Find a party in contempt for violation of a custody order

These larger decisions remain with the court. Parenting coordination is intended to support the implementation of the order, not replace the judge’s authority.

Parenting coordination is also not a substitute for a custody evaluation, therapy, or the appointment of a guardian ad litem. Those tools are used when the court needs more information about what arrangement is in the child’s best interests, while parenting coordination focuses on implementing an order that already exists.

How the Parenting Coordination Process Works

While details vary by county, parenting coordination generally follows a consistent framework.

1. Appointment by the Court

A judge appoints a Parenting Coordinator after a final custody order, usually in response to a pattern of conflict about implementation.
The appointment order sets the Coordinator’s authority and how long the appointment will last.

mug of pens on desk | parenting coordination | Feinman & Childs Family Law

2. Orientation and Fees

The Parenting Coordinator explains the process, expectations, and fee structure.
The court allocates fees for parenting coordination between the parents, sometimes with adjustments based on income or local practice.

woman in sweater at laptop | parenting coordination | Feinman & Childs Family Law

3. Communication and Meetings

Parents raise specific issues with the Parenting Coordinator, copying each other on written communications.
The Parenting Coordinator may use email, phone, video, or in-person meetings to understand the problem and explore solutions.

Upset kid daughter sad parents fighting | parenting coordination | Feinman & Childs Family Law

4. Summary and Recommendation

If the parents cannot agree, the Parenting Coordinator issues a written summary and recommendation (or narrow decision) on the defined issues.
This document is shared with the court and the parties.

person writing notes on a legal pad | parenting coordination | Feinman & Childs Family Law

5. Opportunity to Object and Court Review

Parents have a short period to object and request court review.
The court may approve, modify, or schedule a hearing, or allow the recommendation to stand.

This structure lets families resolve many day-to-day disputes quickly, while preserving each parent’s right to have a judge review contested recommendations.

When Parenting Coordination Is Most Helpful

Parenting coordination is most often used in cases where parents:

Agree on the basic custody schedule, but argue constantly about pick-up and drop-off times or locations

Have a parenting plan, but cannot stop fighting over holidays, school breaks, or special events

Frequently clash about extracurricular activities, lessons, practices, or which parent will transport the child

Regularly need last-minute schedule adjustments and cannot negotiate them without conflict

Send repeated hostile emails or texts about minor logistics, creating ongoing stress for the children

Raise ongoing allegations that the other parent is undermining the child’s relationship with them (sometimes referred to as parental alienation), and the court wants a structured way to manage behavior and facilitate communication between the parents

In these situations, parenting coordination gives parents a structured way to resolve disputes quickly, while keeping the existing custody order in place.

Benefits of Parenting Coordination in High-Conflict Cases

Parenting coordination can provide important benefits:

Faster resolutions of day-to-day disputes than waiting for a court hearing

Reduced attorney and court costs for routine issues

More stability for children, who benefit from consistent schedules and fewer parental standoffs

Less strain on the court system, allowing judges to focus on major disputes

Encouraged co-parenting skills, as parents learn to address recurring issues in a more productive, solution-oriented way

Parenting coordination is not a cure for every conflict, but it can be an effective tool when high conflict parents are committed to reducing day-to-day battles and keeping their children out of the middle.

How Feinman & Childs Can Help

We assist families with parenting coordination in two principal ways.

As Parenting Coordinator

When partner Lindsay H. Childs is appointed as the Parenting Coordinator:

She serves as a neutral professional, focused on implementing the existing custody order and resolving disputes about logistics and day-to-day issues.
She uses her mediation training, as well as her experience in custody law and complex parenting matters to help parents reach practical, child-focused solutions or, when necessary, to issue structured recommendations for court review.

As Counsel for a Parent in Parenting Coordination

Feinman & Childs also represents parents who are participating in parenting coordination with another neutral. In that role, our attorneys:

Explain the parenting coordination process and your rights at each step
Help you prepare for communications and meetings with the Parenting Coordinator
Advise you on which issues are appropriate for parenting coordination and which may need court involvement
Review recommendations with you and, when appropriate, help you decide whether and how to object or seek court review

Our goal is to ensure that parenting coordination supports your child’s needs and best interests and fits within a sound long-term custody strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions About Parenting Coordination

Is parenting coordination the same as mediation?

No. Both are forms of ADR, but they serve different purposes. In mediation, a neutral helps the parties reach their own voluntary agreement and does not decide the outcome. In parenting coordination, the neutral facilitates discussion and, when necessary, makes narrow recommendations or decisions on specific implementation issues, subject to court review.

Will a Parenting Coordinator change my custody order?

No. A Parenting Coordinator cannot change legal custody, primary physical custody, or the basic custody schedule, and cannot decide relocation. Their role is limited to resolving day-to-day issues that arise while following the existing order.

Is a Parenting Coordinator the same as a guardian ad litem?

No. A Parenting Coordinator helps parents carry out an existing custody order and resolve day-to-day disputes about schedules and logistics. A guardian ad litem is appointed to investigate and advocate for a child’s best interests in the custody case itself. A guardian ad litem may interview parents, children, and other witnesses, review records, and make recommendations to the court about what custody arrangement is appropriate. Parenting coordination is about implementation; a guardian ad litem is about information and recommendations for the judge.

Do I need an attorney if a Parenting Coordinator is appointed?

You are not required to have an attorney, but legal counsel can be very helpful, especially in high-conflict cases. An attorney can explain the process, help you frame concerns appropriately, and advise you about whether to accept or challenge a recommendation.

Is parenting coordination confidential?

Parenting coordination is not confidential in the same way as many mediations. Because the Parenting Coordinator’s written recommendations are sent to the court and can form the basis for court orders, the process is structured with notice and review procedures rather than strict confidentiality.

Is parenting coordination appropriate if there are concerns about parental alienation or emotional abuse?

Parenting coordination may be used in some high-conflict cases where one or both parents allege that the other is undermining the child’s relationship with them. However, a Parenting Coordinator does not decide major custody changes or determine whether allegations of abuse or parental alienation are legally substantiated. Those questions remain for the court. Parenting coordination can sometimes help by establishing parameters to make implementation of the existing order easier, improving communication around contact, and addressing day-to-day disputes. In cases involving serious safety concerns, the court will decide whether parenting coordination is appropriate and what safeguards are needed.

Is parenting coordination right for my family?

Parenting coordination is most appropriate when:

You already have a final custody order
You and the other parent have recurring disputes about details and logistics
Everyone wants to reduce repeated court appearances but still maintain access to the court when necessary

It is not appropriate in every case, particularly where there are significant safety concerns or issues that require a full review by a judge. An experienced family law attorney can help you determine whether parenting coordination—or another option such as mediation, modification, or enforcement—is the right tool for your situation.

Contact Feinman & Childs for PA Parenting Coordination

Family Attorney Lindsay H. Childs | parenting coordination | Feinman & Childs Family Law

If you are involved in a high-conflict custody case or have been told that parenting coordination may be an appropriate part of your dispute resolution process, Feinman & Childs Family Law can help you understand your options.

Whether you need:

A qualified Parenting Coordinator to be appointed in your case, or
Experienced counsel to guide you through the parenting coordination process,

Our family law attorneys are ready to assist. Contact us to schedule a consultation and take the next step toward a more structured, child-focused way to manage ongoing custody disputes.

Why Choose

Feinman & Childs Family Law

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