North Carolina Parenting Coordinators
If you have an existing custody order but continue to face frequent disagreements with the other parent, you may need help managing conflicts that keep resurfacing. A parenting coordinator can help parents address certain ongoing disputes and implement the terms of a custody order when the court has authorized coordination.
At Ward Family Law Group, our team includes three attorneys certified by the North Carolina State Bar as Family Law Specialists and two attorneys qualified to serve as Parenting Coordinators. Our North Carolina parenting coordinators can help you understand whether parenting coordination may be appropriate for your circumstances and how it fits into your broader custody matter. Reach out today to schedule a consultation and learn more.
What Does a Parenting Coordinator Do?
A parenting coordinator is an impartial professional appointed in certain high-conflict custody cases to help parents manage recurring disputes related to their children. North Carolina law defines a high-conflict case as one involving an ongoing pattern of problems such as excessive litigation, anger and distrust, verbal abuse, physical aggression or threats, or difficulty communicating and cooperating about the care of the children.
The coordinator's role is determined by the court's appointment order. Depending on that order, a parenting coordinator may help parents address disagreements about issues such as exchanges, transportation, holidays, extracurricular activities, communication, and other matters related to implementing the custody order. The court retains authority over fundamental questions of custody, visitation, and support.
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Types of Parenting Coordination Matters We Handle in North Carolina
Parenting coordination is generally intended for situations where parents continue to experience significant conflict after a custody arrangement has been established. The specific issues a coordinator can address depend on the authority granted in the appointment order.
High-Conflict Co-Parenting: Parents who repeatedly return to court or struggle to communicate about their children's day-to-day needs may benefit from a structured process for addressing recurring disagreements.
Custody Order Implementation: Your child custody order may establish the overall parenting schedule without resolving every practical question that arises later. A coordinator can address certain disputes concerning how the existing order should be carried out.
Parenting-Time Exchanges: Disagreements about pickup and drop-off locations, transportation, transition times, or methods of exchanging the children may fall within a coordinator's authority.
Holiday and Vacation Scheduling: Parents may need assistance applying an existing custody schedule to holidays, school breaks, vacations, and other changes that occur throughout the year.
Communication Between Parents: A coordinator may help parents establish more productive methods for communicating about matters involving their children when communication problems contribute to ongoing conflict.
School and Extracurricular Activities: Depending on the appointment order, coordination may address disputes involving education, before- or after-school activities, sports, or other extracurricular commitments.
Day-to-Day Parenting Decisions: A coordinator's authority may extend to certain disagreements involving childcare, discipline, bedtime, recreation, diet, clothing, or other routine parenting matters.
Health and Other Child-Related Issues: The appointment order may authorize a coordinator to address certain health care management or other child-related disagreements that continue to create conflict.
North Carolina law specifically identifies many of these subjects as areas that may fall within a parenting coordinator's authority, including transitions, transportation, holidays, childcare, extracurricular activities, discipline, health care management, telephone contact, education, and certain schedule changes. The actual scope of authority depends on the court order or the parties' agreement.
Why Choose Ward Family Law Group for Parenting Coordination Matters in North Carolina?
Attorneys With Specific Parenting Coordinator Qualifications
Ward Family Law Group has two attorneys qualified to serve as Parenting Coordinators. Ryan M. Tarrant is certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a Family Law Specialist and is qualified as a North Carolina Parenting Coordinator. He trained through The Center for Cooperative Parenting and was added to the Wake County Parenting Coordinator list in 2023. He also has experience representing parents in family law negotiations, alternative dispute resolution, and litigation.
Linda K. Ward is also trained and available to serve as a Parenting Coordinator in high-conflict custody cases. Her broader experience in family law, mediation, and dispute resolution gives the firm additional perspective when helping families navigate complicated custody issues.
A Firm Focused Exclusively on Family Law
Ward Family Law Group has practiced exclusively in family law and divorce cases since 2000. The firm has three attorneys certified by the North Carolina State Bar as Family Law Specialists, a Family Financial Mediator, and two Parenting Coordinators.
That concentration matters when a parenting coordination issue is connected to a larger custody dispute. A parent may need to understand whether an issue can be addressed through coordination, whether the existing custody order needs to be modified, or whether court intervention is necessary. Our NC family law attorneys can help clients evaluate those questions as part of their broader child custody matter.
When Can a Parenting Coordinator Help With a Custody Dispute?
Parenting coordination is designed for situations where conflict continues after a custody order has been entered. The goal is to address certain recurring disputes without requiring the parents to return to court over every disagreement.
North Carolina law allows a court to appoint a parenting coordinator after a custody order has been entered. The parties may consent to the appointment, a party may request one, or the court may make the appointment on its own. When the parties do not consent, the court must make specific findings that the case is high conflict, that coordination is in the child's best interests, and that the parties are able to pay the coordinator's costs.
Parenting coordination may be appropriate when parents repeatedly struggle with issues such as:
Following the practical details of an existing custody order
Communicating about the children's schedules and activities
Handling transitions between households
Resolving disagreements about holidays and vacations
Making certain day-to-day parenting decisions
Addressing disputes that arise because an order does not specifically address a particular situation
Applying ambiguous or conflicting provisions within an existing custody order
A parenting coordinator is not a substitute for a new custody trial. The court retains exclusive jurisdiction over fundamental custody, visitation, and support issues.
What Authority Does a Parenting Coordinator Have in North Carolina?
A parenting coordinator does not automatically have authority over every disagreement between parents. The appointment order establishes the coordinator's role and identifies the issues the coordinator is authorized to address.
North Carolina law limits that authority to matters that help parents comply with an existing custody order, resolve disputes that the order does not specifically address, or clarify ambiguous or conflicting terms. The order may give the coordinator authority over specific parenting issues, including transportation, holidays, extracurricular activities, discipline, health care management, education, and certain schedule changes.
Within the scope of that authority, a parenting coordinator can make decisions that are enforceable as orders of the court. A party or the party's attorney can ask the court to review a coordinator's decision. Unless the court changes the decision following review, the parties generally must comply with the coordinator's decision.
The coordinator's authority has limits. A parenting coordinator does not replace the judge, and the coordinator does not determine fundamental issues of custody, visitation, or support. The coordinator also does not provide counseling or other professional services to the parents or children.
What Is the Difference Between a Parenting Coordinator and a Child Custody Lawyer?
A parenting coordinator and a family law attorney serve different roles.
A parenting coordinator is impartial. The coordinator works within the authority granted by the appointment order and addresses qualifying disputes involving both parents. The coordinator does not represent either parent.
A child custody lawyer represents one parent. That attorney provides legal advice, advocates for the parent's interests, reviews the custody order, negotiates with the other side, and can represent the parent in court when necessary.
The distinction becomes particularly important when a parent disagrees with a coordinator's decision or believes the existing custody order no longer meets the child's needs. The parent may need independent legal advice about whether to request court review, seek a modification, or take another legal step.
The court also remains responsible for fundamental custody, visitation, and support decisions even when a parenting coordinator has been appointed.
How Does Parenting Coordination Work?
The process begins with an appointment order that defines the coordinator's authority and responsibilities. North Carolina law requires an appointment conference in most cases, and the parties, their attorneys, and the proposed coordinator generally participate. During that conference, the court explains the coordinator's role, addresses financial arrangements, establishes communication rules, and enters the appointment order when necessary.
Once the appointment is in place, parents communicate with the coordinator according to the procedures established for the case. The coordinator may gather information from the parents, identify the specific issue in dispute, and help the parents work toward a practical resolution when the issue falls within the coordinator's authority.
If the coordinator has authority to decide a particular dispute and the parents cannot reach an agreement, the coordinator may issue a written decision. North Carolina law provides a process for a party to request court review of that decision.
Parenting coordination can therefore provide a structured way to address recurring disagreements, but parents should understand the limits of the appointment and the consequences of decisions made within its scope.
What Happens if a Parent Does Not Follow a Parenting Coordinator's Decision?
A parenting coordinator can only act within the authority granted by the appointment order. When a coordinator makes a decision within that authority, North Carolina law provides that the decision is enforceable as an order of the court.
If a parent believes the coordinator exceeded that authority or that the decision is not in the child's best interests, the parent or the parent's attorney may ask the court to review the decision. The court can modify a decision after a review hearing when the statutory requirements are met.
The law also allows a parenting coordinator to report certain problems to the court, including noncompliance with the custody order, noncompliance with a coordinator's decision, or issues concerning the coordinator's appointment or fees. The court may then address the reported issue through the appropriate proceeding.
If you disagree with a parenting coordinator's decision, you should understand the applicable review process before simply disregarding the decision. An attorney can help you evaluate the coordinator's authority, the terms of the custody order, and the options available to you.
What Should You Bring to a Parenting Coordinator Consultation?
A parenting coordination issue usually develops within an existing custody case, so documents showing the history and current terms of the arrangement can be particularly helpful.
Consider bringing:
Your current custody order: The appointment order and custody order are important because they define the coordinator's authority and the parents' existing obligations.
Prior court orders: Earlier custody, contempt, or other relevant orders may provide important context.
Written communications: Emails, texts, parenting-app messages, or other communications can help identify recurring areas of disagreement.
Parenting schedules: Bring calendars or records showing missed exchanges, schedule conflicts, holiday disagreements, or other recurring problems.
Prior legal documents: Motions, hearing notices, settlement agreements, or correspondence from your attorneys may help explain how the current arrangement developed.
Parenting coordinator decisions: If a coordinator has already issued a decision, bring the decision and any related communications.
The consultation gives an attorney an opportunity to understand the dispute, review the relevant orders, and discuss whether the issue belongs within the parenting coordinator's authority or requires another legal response.
Reach Out to Ward Family Law Group About Parenting Coordination
Ongoing conflict after a custody order can make ordinary parenting decisions difficult for everyone involved. A parenting coordinator may provide structure for addressing certain recurring disputes, but the coordinator's authority depends on the court's appointment order and North Carolina law. Ward Family Law Group can help you understand your rights, responsibilities, and options when parenting coordination becomes part of your custody matter.
Contact us to schedule a consultation with a North Carolina parenting coordinator lawyer and discuss your custody concerns.