Rice Law Offers Certified Parent Coordinator Services

Parenting Coordinators in North Carolina are court appointed to work with families involved in high conflict child custody cases.  Mark Spencer Williams in our office is a certified PC and is on the approved list for New Hanover, Pender, Onslow, Jones, Sampson and Duplin Counties.

What is a Parenting Coordinator?

A Parenting Coordinator is an impartial professional who helps parents improve their co-parenting skills and solve problems involving their children in high conflict child custody disputes. They are court appointed and granted certain powers and responsibilities by the Court. High conflict custody disputes are characterized by a pattern of any of the following:

• excessive litigation;
• anger and distrust between the parties;
• verbal abuse;
• physical aggression and threats of physical aggression; and
• difficulty communicating about the minor children.

How can a Parenting Coordinator help me?

When parents have difficulty co-parenting, a Parenting Coordinator can help the parents resolve disputes and improve their co-parenting skills. This helps protect the children and saves the parties the expense of going back-and-forth to court over petty issues.

Are Parenting Coordinators an alternative to Court?

No. You still need an attorney and a court order establishing child custody and child support.

What Is a PC’s Role in North Carolina Family Law?

Parent Coordinator’s are governed by North Carolina General Statute § 50-90 et. seq. and the rules applied by an order appointing the PC. The statute and the Court’s order sets out the authority of the PC which generally addresses issues such as

• Matters that will aid the parties in complying with the court’s custody order
• Resolving disputes regarding issues that were not specifically addressed in the custody order, or ambiguous or conflicting terms in the custody order.
• Transition time, pickup, or delivery.
• Sharing of vacations and holidays
• Method of pickup and delivery
• Transportation to and from visitation
• Participation in child or daycare and babysitting
• Bedtime
• Diet
• Clothing
• Recreation
• Before and after‑school activities
• Extracurricular activities
• Discipline
• Healthcare management
• Alterations in schedule that do not substantially interfere with the basic time‑share agreement
• Participation in visitation including significant others or relatives
• Telephone contact.
• Alterations to appearance, including tattoos or piercings
• The child’s passport
• Education
• Other areas of specific authority as designated by the court or the parties.

Method

We usually meet with the parties virtually to fulfill our PC role.

Contact Us 

If you need a qualified PC for a family law or civil dispute in North Carolina, Rice Law can help.  We would need to run a conflicts check and receive a court appointment.

Call us at (910) 762-3854 or contact us for more information.