According to the North Carolina family law code, the court has the right to appoint a parenting coordinator during any child custody cases that involve minor children. In order to do this, all parties must consent to the appointment and they have the right to limit the parenting coordinator's decision-making authority to specific situations if the need arises.
The court can sometimes appoint a parenting coordinator in a child custody case without the parent's approval if the court can determine that the situation is a high-conflict case and a coordinator is necessary. High-conflict cases typically mean those where there is excessive litigation, verbal abuse, physical aggression, threatening, and difficulty communicating.
Most of the times, parenting coordinators are chosen from a list of available coordinators that is provided by the district court, The court must complete and give the parenting coordinator a referral form that lists the contact information for family members and their attorneys and the court declaration that supports the use of a parenting coordinator in the case.
Typically, parenting coordinators have the right to identify all disputed issues and clarify priorities. They also have the right to explore any possibilities for compromise and develop methods of collaboration in parenting between the adults in a family law situation. As well, the parenting coordinator can help to make sure that both parties comply with the court's orders for alimony, visitation, custody, and more.
Parenting coordinators in North Carolina are required to hold a masters or doctorate degree in psychology, social work, medicine, law, counseling, or a related subject area that would applicable to the family law situations. Coordinators must also hold a current license in the parenting coordinator area of practice, and must participate in 24 hours of training in topics that are related to the developmental stages of children, the dynamics of high-conflict families, and mediation.
Parenting coordinators also need to have knowledge of the different stages of divorce and their affects upon families. They will need to be able to deal with problem solving issues and legal issues. If you want more information about parenting coordinators or have had a parenting coordinator assigned to your case and now need assistance, then you need to talk to a lawyer at Hopper Law Office today.
The attorneys at this firm can help you to organize the need for a parental coordinator or can act as a mediator between you and your spouse if you cannot come to a civil agreement regarding your current custody or visitation situations. Make sure to hire a compassionate and caring Raleigh family attorney, rather than opting for the cheapest solution you can find. You can learn more about Hopper Law Office on their Google+ or their Facebook page.