“Throwing the Baby Out With the Bathwater”: Parenting Coordination and Pennsylvania’s Decisions to Eliminate its Use

Authors

Sophie B. Mashburn

Abstract

Parenting coordination is a relatively new ADR practice utilized by courts to assist in resolving high conflict divorce cases. Though considered controversial by some, it can also serve as an effective tool for divorced parents who struggle with regular co-parenting decisions. Parenting coordination is defined as: A child-focused alternative dispute resolution process in which a mental health or legal professional with mediation training and experience assists high conflict parents to implement their parenting plan by facilitating the resolution of their disputes in a timely manner, educating parents about children’s needs, and with prior approval of the parties and/or court, making decisions within the scope of the court order or appointment contract. Parenting coordination is a “legal-psychological hybrid” and does not neatly fit the mediation-arbitration model, but is rather a distinct form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

Recommended Citation

Sophie B. Mashburn, “Throwing the Baby Out With the Bathwater”: Parenting Coordination and Pennsylvania’s Decisions to Eliminate its Use, 2015 J. Disp. Resol. (2015)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/jdr/vol2015/iss1/12