In North Carolina, a parenting coordinator may be appointed in custody cases. Custody, which means both decision-making and physical time with children, is resolved either by agreement (if entered by a court, it is called a consent custody order) or a custody order entered by a court following a custody trial. Unfortunately, entry of a custody order, whether by consent or not, does not always stop conflict between parents. Divorced parents, although they may now be financially and physically separated, continue to be tied together as parents, which requires them to make decisions and attempt to co-parent together. If they had conflict that led to a divorce, they can also have conflict as divorced parents who don’t see eye to eye about their children.
North Carolina General Statute Chapter 50 Article 90 allows our courts to appoint a parenting coordinator any time during custody proceedings with the consent of the parents, or in a high conflict custody case, without the consent of the parents. The parenting coordinator is a neutral or impartial person who does not advocate on behalf of or represent either parent. The parenting coordinator assists the parents in resolving conflict and making decisions for the best interest of the children, which may be reviewed by the judge involved in the custody action if necessary.
Parenting Out of the Trenches is a blog authored by Wofford Law Partner and Certified Parent Coordinator Rebecca B. Wofford. View the entire blog here
