Indianapolis, IN 46256 
- :: Parenting Coordinator
When parents need additional assistance with their co-parenting efforts, Parenting Coordination is often an excellent solution. It is designed to aid parents by helping each parent handle differences that he or she may have with the other parent or the other parent’s decisions with regard to the children. The primary goals of the Parenting Coordinator are to help parents: (1) establish and follow a parenting time schedule; (2) make temporary changes to the parenting time schedule when needed; (3) resolve and reduce conflicts over parenting; (4) have meaningful and healthy parent-child relationships; (5) learn the skills needed to engage in collaborative parenting; and (6) decrease constant litigation. A Parenting Coordinator does not assume the role of a therapist, attorney, mediator, guardian ad litem, judge or custody evaluator.
Generally, parenting coordinators have the authority to help aid parents with the following:
- : Interpreting and slightly modify parenting schedule
- : Determining daily routines, daycare, transportation and exchange of children
- : Choosing medical care providers
- : Agreeing on schools and extracurricular activities for the children
- : Deciding the best way to discipline the children
- : Determining children’s travel and passport arrangements
- : Deciding religious involvement of children
- : Establishing communication methods between parents
- : Deciding on appearance of children (i.e. haircuts, tattoos, piercings)
A Parenting Coordinator’s role is to remain the neutral third party; and thus he/she does not offer legal advice or take the side of one parent. The legal process of dissolution of marriage often creates and emphasizes conflict between parents, and using a Parenting Coordinator is a creative way to help minimize that conflict.
Mitchell & Associates attorney, Robin Kelly, is a trained parenting coordinator and can offer these services to parents in conflict.