Oregon Parenting Coordinators are often an excellent option for parents in high-conflict divorce or child custody cases. However, their services must be ordered by a judge.
Benefits of Professional Parenting Time Coordination
After divorce or mediation, even with a detailed judgment and parenting plan, parents often cannot agree as to exact parenting time schedules, start or stop times, pick-up and drop-off locations for the children, or other terms of visitation. One of the main benefits to using a parenting time coordinator is the fact that a neutral professional can often more effectively and more efficiently handle disputes. Also, a parenting time coordinator can typically operate much faster than a court. A contested hearing on a parenting time dispute could take weeks or even months to be finally heard by a Circuit Court.
Some of the functions of a parent coordinator includes the following:
- Assessment of the source of conflict or disagreement. Also an assessment of the needs of the children.
- Education of the parents as to minimize the exposure of the children to conflict or disagreement.
- Coordination and case management of parenting time.
- Conflict management and assisted or filter communication between the parents.
- Decision-making when the parents can’t agree
Oregon Parenting Coordinators and Parenting Time Coordination are allowed by Oregon law. Specifically, ORS 107.425(3)(a) provides the following:
In addition to an investigation, examination or evaluation under subsections (1) and (2) of this section, the court may appoint an individual or a panel or may designate a program to assist the court in creating parenting plans or resolving disputes regarding parenting time and to assist parents in creating and implementing parenting plans. The services provided to the court and to parents under this section may include:
(A) Gathering information;
(B) Monitoring compliance with court orders;
(C) Providing the parents, their attorneys, if any, and the court with recommendations for new or modified parenting time provisions; and
(D) Providing parents with problem solving, conflict management and parenting time coordination services or other services approved by the court.
List of Portland Oregon Parenting Coordinators
- Celeste Doneen, LCSW, CADCIII
- Kathleen Gillis, Psy.D.
- Cassandra L. Marshall
- Charlene Sabin, M.D., P.C.